Destiny Changed
by Karisan-karisan
Summary: Destiny Revealed's sequel. Jin needs to prove he's still the strongest fighter, Kazuya wants to kill his son, Xiao wants to find Jin, Hwoarang wants a rematch and Julia wants to help everybody. Jin/Xiaoyu, Hwoarang/Julia
1. Chapter 1

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

A/N: Destiny Revealed's sequel. I know it's a short chapter but I'll try to write a longer one next time. I wasn't sure about starting a new story but when I checked the news about the Tekken Movie coming out next year, I decided to return to FFNET…

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 1_

A year had passed since the end of the Iron Fist Tournament 3. Since then Xiaoyu was feeling like a normal teenager with a not so normal life. Too much had happened since she had arrived to Japan. A year ago she thought that her fate was to stay by Jin's side to help him fight against his father, the Devil, who wanted to kill Jin in order to get his powers back. Now, everything was a mess. Jin was gone and Xiaoyu felt more alone than ever despite the fact that she had gained many friends.

Miharu Hirano was a true friend. Actually, the young Japanese girl was Xiaoyu's best friend. Miharu never liked Jin much, deep inside she had a feeling that he was the type of guy who hurt girls so much they can never recover their happiness again. Unfortunately Miharu had seen Xiaoyu and Jin's friendship turning into something more and after Jin's sudden disappearance, Xiaoyu had been so depressed that Miharu thought about forcing her to go to a psychologist. A week later Miharu decided to bring back the old Xiaoyu, because she missed her old friend. It was frustrating to watch Xiaoyu's sad face. She would stay at home when everyone was having fun and it seemed that Xiaoyu had also lost her ability to smile. Miharu couldn't even convince Xiaoyu to go out to the new Amusement Park in Nagoya.

Therefore, her first attempt consisted in trying to convince Xiaoyu that Jin wasn't worth it and that he had no qualities at all. It wasn't too hard for Miharu to say bad things about Jin Kazama. She knew Jin before Xiaoyu moved in and she had a very good memory of all the girls who had cried and were hurt by his indifference.

-'Jin's an idiot. He's not the person you think he is. He's an anti-social coward and if he can't cope with his problems and doesn't want your help you should just forget about him. Life goes on, Xiao!'

Although her point was consistent and the argument could work for many heart-broken girls, Xiaoyu didn't buy it. She didn't know why he had left so suddenly, but she was sure he had a good explanation. In the end, Xiaoyu was loyal to Jin, or in this case, to the memories they shared.

The second attempt was less aggressive than the first one:-'Maybe he needs time. That thing about his father and the devil gene, it must be confusing and he needs to be alone for a while. You can't blame him. Besides I'm sure he's fine…I mean he's Jin Kazama, winner of the Iron Fist Tournament 3. He's not a baby and he probably knows that you're going to be here waiting for him…'

Xiaoyu smiled when Miharu said that. She knew what Miharu was trying to do and for a few hours she tried to be happy and even agreed on doing something together the next weekend but when she arrived to the Mishima mansion she was still sad, and sadness was painful. But unfortunately days passed and Jin was still missing. No phone call, no e-mail, no letter…nothing. Xiaoyu was worried but more than that, she was disappointed.

Jin and Xiaoyu were friends. Their relationship didn't start well because he felt she was an intruder when Heihachi brought her from China. Xiaoyu thought he was a spoil brat longing for attention and with serious attitude problems. Both of them were wrong.

She learned that Jin was just a lonely young man, trying to fit in. And Jin learned to respect her because of her strong will and dedication. A platonic romance emerged and Jin and Xiaoyu had agreed on staying close to each other, but he had suddenly broken his promise.

After seeing her friend giving up, Miharu almost gave up too. Why bother? It was obvious that Xiaoyu didn't want to feel happy again.

But then again she wouldn't let Jin Kazama ruin her friend's life without a fight. After a great deal of frustration, Miharu achieved her objective. She had finally convinced Xiaoyu to get a job during their holidays.

As soon as she got her friend's approval, Miharu found the perfect job to make Xiaoyu forget all about her problems. So, two days later both girls were starting a part-time job in a kindergarten. Each had fifteen children to take care of, from 9 a.m. to 13 p.m.

-'It's going to be a good experience.'-Miharu pointed out.-'I'm sure the kids are going to love you. You're kind and you love to play with kids, right? Go there and do your best!'

Xiaoyu was apprehensive but she didn't want to say it so she wished Miharu good luck too and went to her classroom where fifteen 5 year old children were waiting.

-'It's a living hell!!'-Miharu confessed when she met Xiaoyu waiting outside the building.-'I didn't know 5 year old kids could be so cruel!'

Xiaoyu laughed. The spell had backfired and Miharu was feeling like crap. But still, during the whole morning Xiaoyu had been able to forget about Jin and for a brief moment she returned to her old self.

-'I think they're cute.'-she said making Miharu feel disgusted.

-'I'm never going to get married and have kids. It's…horrible.'

-'You were so sure this was the perfect job…what happened?'

-'Two girls puked all over my feet, another one cried the whole morning, and two boys decided to put glue in my chair. They're monsters in disguise.'

Xiaoyu laughed again.

-'I loved it. Michiko-chan is very quiet and Noriko-chan is the smartest because she started reading at the age of four. Daisuke-chan wants to be a pilot and Hisashi-chan thinks he's Naruto from the anime series. Aiko-chan is worried about her doll, because she left it at home and thinks the cat might eat it…'

-'Wait a second. You remember all their names?'

-'Yeah…sure…you don't?'

Miharu rolled her eyes. It was obvious by now that she sucked as a kindergarten teacher.

-'Lets eat an ice-cream before I lose my appetite.'-Miharu invited. Even though she didn't feel like going to work the next morning, Miharu was truly happy with the results of her plan.

A week later the words "Jin Kazama" had disappeared from Xiaoyu's vocabulary and the Chinese young girl was happy again. At least that was what Miharu thought until the first day of school after the holidays.

-'I got a call last night.'-Xiaoyu said with excitement.

-'Who was it?'

-'It was Julia…it looks like the Iron Fist Tournament 4 is going to be announced soon.'

-'That means…'

-'Jin will be there. He was the winner of the previous tournament and he also won the Tag Tournament six months ago.'

-'What if you don't get an invitation?'

-'Julia said we are all going to get one for sure.'

-'You know…I'm not sure it's a good idea to enter the tournament again…'

-'What do you mean Miharu? I'm the one going not you…'

-'The first time you entered you had to fight against Ogre and Jin almost killed your friends.'- Miharu tried to explain in a low voice.-'Not that I would mind if he had killed that stupid Korean…That asshole.'-she added.

-'Ogre is gone and Jin…'

-'Jin's gone too, Xiao. Why do you think he has left?'

-'Because he's too proud to ask for help.'

-'No, he left because he doesn't want to hurt you. He knows that he's dangerous and that he can't be near other people.'

-'But…I need to see him one more time. I need to ask him something.'

-'You're going to be in the middle of a war…again.'

-'I'm old enough to take care of myself. This time I'm going to be ready for action! And my friends are going to be there with me.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 2_

It was Miharu's time to jump with excitement even though she didn't really know how to react to the small paper she was holding in her hands.

Miharu didn't consider herself a fighter but she was a senior black belt in Karate, a tradition that the Hirano's family was very proud of. She never thought about a career or becoming stronger, she only took classes because she knew that knowing martial arts could be useful as a self defensive weapon.

She also knew that comparing her karate with Xiaoyu's or Jin's advanced techniques was ridiculous. Even so she was extremely excited over the fact that she had also received an invitation to enter the Iron Fist Tournament.

First things first, she had to speak to Xiaoyu to tell her the good news.

Xiaoyu had also received her invitation and couldn't be happier when she answered Miharu's phone call. She was absolutely sure that in a few months she would see Jin again and she would make him realise that he needed her.

In South Korea, Hwoarang was far from happy. He had been forced to serve in the South Korean Army for the last two months. Actually, it wasn't hard to live in the army: he had a roof, a bed to sleep in, three meals a day and lots of activities to relieve his stamina, besides he was good at many things. Physical exercises were easy, he was a good shooter, a good driver, a good fighter, a good swimmer…but he was not too good at taking orders. He had been warned twice that the military service in South Korea was compulsory, so he had to serve for six months. After that he was free.

That didn't make him happier. Six months was too much time stuck on that place. After two months he was growing impatient, his insubordination was at its peak and punishments didn't work on him.

That morning he had received an order to go to the airport. Some military material was about to arrive and five other soldiers would go with him to bring it to the Headquarters. He was just the driver, but even so Hwoarang was eager to leave that place and breathe some "fresh air".

At the airport things didn't go as he had planned. They were escorted by Lieutenant Jong Meng and he didn't allow Hwoarang to leave the truck while they were carrying the cargo. Hwoarang wanted to walk around freely for a few hours or even just a few minutes. He wanted a beer and a nice meal. Was it too much to ask?

As soon as Lieutenant Jong Meng left to take care of the paper work, he decided that he had to take that chance. It was now or never. Maybe he could go to a café outside the airport.

-'Hey! Where the hell are you going?'-asked one of his colleagues.

-'To the bathroom.'-Hwoarang lied.

He was heading to the exit when he noticed a girl talking on the phone. She was obviously frustrated. But what really called his attention was that she was speaking in English and her voice sounded quite familiar. But it couldn't be her, could she?

-'Chang?'-he asked when she hung up.

-'Hwoarang? What are you doing here?'-Julia asked surprised. He was actually the last person she wanted to meet.

-'Last time I checked I was still living in South Korea.'-he said with an ironic tone of voice.

-'I know that moron…I meant in the airport…'

-'I'm on duty. What about you? What are you doing here?'

-'Waiting for my flight. I'm going to Japan but my plane had some problems so we had to land here.'

-'Why is Miss University going to Japan? Are you on holidays? I mean, I thought your mother didn't want you to leave Arizona on your own again.'

-'You really don't know why I'm going to Japan?'-Julia asked.

-'If I knew I wouldn't be asking…Are you trying to be funny or did your IQ suddenly drop?'

-'Well I guess that's what happens when I'm near you.'

-'Wow, your tongue is getting sharp…That's so exciting…Lets go find a room, shall we?'

-'In your dreams.'

-'Sure Chang…Every night I dream about you and me alone in a room…'

-'Shut up!'-Julia took a paper out of her bag and gave it to Hwoarang.-'The Iron Fist Tournament 4 was announced two days ago. Fighters all around the world are getting their invitations, didn't you know?'

-'This is the invitation?'

-'Yes.'

-'Who else got one?'

-'I don't know exactly, but Xiaoyu got hers as well…I'm going to meet her.'

-'That means Kazama is going too.'

-'Probably, but he's missing.'

-'Missing?'

-'Yeah, Xiaoyu told me we went missing right after the Tag Tournament.'

-'Well…I don't give a damn…I just need him to go the tournament.'

-'But do you have your invitation?'

-'In case you didn't notice I've been busy and I'm not staying at home but I'm sure there's one for me too…'

-'But if you're in the Army you can't go to the tournament.'

-'I'm going to be out really soon, don't worry. When does it start?'

-'Next month.'

-'Then I'll be seeing you next month…and don't forget about what you said last time…'-he said with a grin.

Julia looked at him with an angry face and clenched her fists. She had hopes that he'd forgotten all by now but it seemed that he wasn't going to let her go away with it.

-'I know…But don't be too confidant.'

-'Whatever…I'll be counting the days.'

Hwoarang returned to the truck quietly, he didn't care about food or drinks anymore. Since he had heard the words "Iron Fist Tournament 4" he could only think of his rematch against Jin Kazama, his nemesis.

He had lied to Julia, he didn't have permission to leave the Army unless he completed his military service and that would only happen in four months. But the tournament was his priority and he wasn't going to waste that chance.

A few hours later he made up his mind: he had to runaway from that place, he needed to feel the rush and the adrenaline…he could also feel the blood flowing in his veins just by the mere thought of fighting against Jin Kazama. No one could stop him from getting his revenge.

A few days passed but Hwoarang's mind was drifting away…far away from his duties and the Army. He wouldn't wait four months to leave the military base since the tournament would start in three weeks. Meanwhile, he was still working on a plan to runaway. Although he was a bit (more like a lot) impatient and impulsive, Hwoarang was full aware of the consequences of his actions if he decided to runaway from the Army.

If he was caught, during or after the escape, he would have to face the Court Martial and he had nothing or anyone in his favour. No one to turn to, no helping hand. Well "he had made his own bed" since he had arrived. Despite his success on various missions, Hwoarang was still a pain in the butt to his superiors, giving them more than a few headaches.

But if he wasn't caught he could enter the tournament and finally get his revenge. Three weeks turned out to be an eternity for Hwoarang but there were two things helping him to go through that time: the will to fight his enemy and the memory of Julia's promise.

In Japan, Xiaoyu, Miharu and Julia were training hard every single day to be able to compete against the best fighters. Last time Julia and Xiaoyu didn't have much luck with their partners in the Tag Tournament. But in the end they realised that the Tag Tournament wasn't even official and it had probably been just one of Heihachi's ideas to gather some sort of information about the fighters.

It was impossible to force fighters to work together against their will. None of the teams that entered the tournament had actually worked as a real team. Julia was constantly accused of being weak and Xiaoyu had never been taken seriously. Hwoarang's team had never even existed and Jin's was based on the ability to ignore the other (maybe that was why they had managed to win).

Last night Julia had received a phone call from Michelle and she was told that someone had broke in the G Corporation's facilities and stolen the reforestation data they were working on. It seemed that the Mishima Zaibatsu was behind it but there wasn't enough proof. Julia offered to investigate and recover the data once she was in the tournament.

Xiaoyu was sceptical about the subject because she didn't understand why Heihachi would actually want to steal data about a reforestation program.

Julia didn't know how to answer that question but she could swear on her life that Heihachi was guilty. As for Miharu she couldn't get enough of hearing the same things about the Iron Fist Tournament 3 and the Tag Tournament. She had forced Xiaoyu and Julia to tell her everything that had happened during those competitions for more than three times already.

Both her friends had already entered the competition and she was starting to feel really nervous about it. She had zero experience in that sort of things.

-'By the way…I saw Hwoarang…'-Julia announced to avoid more of Miharu's questions about the tournaments.-'He's in the Army.'

-'Really?'-Xiaoyu asked.'-That means he won't go to the tournament, right?'

-'I don't know…'

-'I hope he stays home. Jin doesn't have time to deal with him right now.'-Xiaoyu said.

-'Julia…you look disappointed…do you want him to go?'-Miharu teased.

-'What? No! Of course not! Actually, it would be much better for me if he never comes near me again…'


	3. Chapter 3

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 3_

Five months had passed since Jin Kazama had arrived to Australia. Jin wasn't the type of guy who enjoyed travelling and exploring new places, countries or cultures, but he did find Australia an interesting place to live. First of all he had disposed everything that could connect him to the Mishima family, including credit cards and cell phone. It wasn't easy since during the time he had lived with Heihachi he got used having plenty of everything: luxury, money, fame…and especially home cooked meals.

But then again, money was the least of his worries. What he really needed was peace and a place where Heihachi couldn't find him. That place was Brisbane…for now. There he found a dojo and asked his owner to help him. The man had not only a very weird accent but also a very acute understanding because he immediately guessed that Jin was in troubles and needed guidance. He accepted the challenge and soon he realised that the pupil was actually stronger than the master. The Australian man didn't have much to teach Jin but it was a good experience as a martial artist to train with someone as unique as Jin.

Sometimes Jin had the feeling that he was the real master in the dojo. Since he arrived the dojo had won fifteen more students and many supporters…mostly girls who wished to see the foreigner training. That was the reason why Jin was now training on his own in a private room. Girls were always talking loudly and he couldn't focus. Jin's objective was to get rid of the Mishima Karate Fighting Style and create a personal martial art. Something more powerful and efficient, a martial art forged by himself.

Every single morning Jin would wake up knowing that his life was everything except normal. Since when could the son of a man who had sold his soul to the Devil actually be normal? Exactly…never.

But for a few years Jin tried to have a normal life. After Jun's death, Jin had no option but to go to Tokyo to live with his grandfather, even though he didn't know a single thing about the Mishima family. During that time Jin even went to school and tried to fit in a world that wasn't his. He did have a glimpse of some sort of happiness when Xiaoyu moved in with them. He didn't like her at first…from all the people in the world Heihachi had to choose a hyperactive Chinese girly girl. Destiny couldn't be crueler to someone whose only wish was to be left alone. He wasn't even used to have company at home. Soon Jin changed his opinion about Xiaoyu. She was actually a good fighter and in a certain way she reminded him of his mother. After a while, Jin started to feel the consequences of living with a girl like Xiaoyu. He had always been a lonely person. There was something about him or his personality that made it hard to be with other people.

Putting it simply he had zero friends at school and the only person he could talk to was Taka, the housekeeper…It was pathetic: the famous Jin Kazama couldn't even be around people of his own age because he thought they were all shallow and a bunch of idiots. But when Xiaoyu arrived the Mishima Mansion gained a new life and Jin got his first friend, although at first, she was only his training partner.

So for a while Jin thought that his life was going to change, especially after he "signed" a peace treaty with Miharu Hirano, a girl from school who used to hate him more than anyone else in the world. Finally Jin was being accepted by people who didn't care who he was. Miharu and Xiaoyu were his friends not because he was handsome, rich and the heir of the Mishima family, but because they had chosen to.

After the Iron Fist 3 Jin learned not only that Demons and Devils do exist but also that he was one of them. Why him? He had never asked more power…he wanted a normal life but ever since he was born, his destiny was sealed. The one to blame was his father, Kazuya Mishima…and Heihachi too, of course. That deluded old man had actually tried to kill him to use his blood which contained the devil gene to do some kind of weird experiment using Ogre's blood too. So his family was completely crazy…dysfunctional was actually the best adjective. In the past few months Jin had learned to live with the fact that he would never be normal…Michelle Chang said it once…There was no cure for the devil gene because it's not a disease, so the best thing to do was to live with it and hope for the best.

In the middle of his training Jin lost his concentration once again. His life looked like a sci-fi argument for a cheap movie or maybe a soap opera and unfortunately he was kind of a tragic hero, stuck between light and darkness.

He wished he could just disappear from the face of the earth but then he thought about Xiaoyu. What would happen to her? He had left without saying goodbye because he knew she wouldn't let him leave. She was always trying to help. Jin knew she was too naïve to see the dangers she would have to face if she wanted to help him. Besides what was the point in helping someone who was already condemned? Actually she was making things harder for him. On one hand it was good to know that Xiaoyu was there for him but on the other hand he would never be able to forgive himself if something bad happened to her. It was just a matter of time until Kazuya or the Devil could find him.

_You can run but you cannot hide_. Jin knew that saying too well for his own misfortune, because once Kazuya found him, he was dead and the Devil would be able to have his powers back.

Having finally mastered a traditional karate fighting style, Jin was now thinking about what to do next, because he knew he couldn't stay in Brisbane forever. He couldn't return to Japan either because Heihachi would be waiting for him.

That same night, after dinner, Jin couldn't believe his eyes. On TV, a tall blonde young man was talking about his participation in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 which would be held in Japan in the next month. After the blonde guy who seemed to be a very important European boxing champion, a huge man also appeared. It looked like they had both received an invitation.

Once again Jin knew that Heihachi was planning something and unfortunately he knew that Xiaoyu had probably received an invitation too which meant she was in serious troubles. Now for the first time in months, Jin regretted having thrown away his cell phone and credit cards. Since he didn't have much money left, he had only one option: to use a computer and send an e-mail to Xiaoyu warning her about Heihachi's true intentions. He just hoped that Xiaoyu would be wise enough to stay at home and don't put herself in danger again, because this time Jin didn't know if he was capable of protecting others from himself.

But for some reason Jin had the feeling that Xiaoyu would do exactly the opposite and that was why he was already thinking about booking a flight to return to Japan.

That was exactly what Heihachi Mishima wanted. His grandson was the key to his success even though he had ruined his plans in the Iron Fist Tournament 3 by killing Ogre. Heihachi never expected that Jin could be so strong at that age. But then again the boy was a Mishima, so it was only natural. The Mishima family was one of the most powerful Japanese lineages of fighters in centuries and Kazuya almost ruined everything by having a child with an ordinary girl. Jun Kazama wasn't exactly the type of daughter-in-law Heihachi wanted to welcome in the family, actually he didn't even want to have heirs, but now was too late. Fortunately Kazuya hadn't married her and she was dead…one less problem to the mighty Heihachi Mishima.

When a fifteen year old Jin Kazama arrived to his mansion claming to be Kazuya's son, Heihachi almost had a seizure. He didn't buy the story until the paternity results came out, after all everyone wanted to be his grandchild. Heihachi ended up doing the only thing he could do to avoid a major scandal and accepted Jin as his heir. Kazuya was dead and Chaolan…well Chaolan was a whole different story…so Jin would inherit the Mishima Zaibatsu one day…well…only if he couldn't help it of course.

It was a long time since Heihachi had to play a father figure and Jin wasn't exactly a child anymore so their relationship wasn't quite pacific. They used to ignore each other most of the time, especially after Jin mastered the Mishima Karate Style. In the meanwhile Heihachi discovered a very powerful and rare gene in his grandson's blood and after a few tests, he realised that he could become invincible if only he could possess the devil gene and mix it with Ogre's blood. His plan failed and now Heihachi was working on a different approach.

After the Iron Fist Tournament 3, Heihachi knew exactly what to expect from his grandson. The boy was very strong and even intelligent but he was also weak. Jun Kazama had raised him to be a good person and that was his weakness which meant he could take advantage of that in the next tournament. Besides, the Tag Tournament had worked perfectly as an observation platform. Heihachi had reunited loads of information about many fighters and knew exactly who he should fear and who he should simply ignore.

Julia Chang was a nosy kid who he wanted to avoid at all costs; it was the same for Lee Chaolan and Nina Williams.

As for Jin and Xiaoyu they were crucial in order to achieve his goal.

A few hours after he ordered the assault on G Corporation's facilities, Heihachi had found something really interesting. Something that made it possible for him to dream again about possessing the devil gene: Kazuya was alive and "kicking", literally.

To use Xiaoyu to lure Jin to the tournament had its flaws. Heihachi knew Jin's good nature but he couldn't confirm that his grandson liked Xiaoyu that much. What if the boy liked someone else? A more exotic girl? Maybe Xiaoyu wasn't his type. So this meant that Kazuya was Plan A while Jin would be the Plan B. Besides, after the assault Kazuya was totally enraged. This was actually a good thing because it would be easier to lure him too.

If there was something that Heihachi was really good at was to understand other peoples' ambitions. When he was nine years old, he was already a black belt in karate, an achievement even greater that his own father's, who had only mastered the Mishima Karate Style at the age of eleven. Heihachi had tried to raise Kazuya the same way: the hard way. After all that was the only way he knew how to raise a child. Whether he liked it or not, Kazuya would have to be a winner to be able to inherit the Mishima's fortune.

As soon as he sensed weakness in his son, Heihachi decided to play his ultimate card: Kazuya needed a rival, so he adopted Lee Chaolan. Fortunately for Heihachi, the boys hated each other's guts since they met. One year later Heihachi came to the conclusion that although Kazuya was the strongest, Chaolan was more ambitious.

The adopted kid was a better option than his own flesh and blood. Disappointing indeed but the problem could be solved. It was time for a drastic measure. After that nothing would be the same again, the Mishima's past was sealed with blood. But for now Heihachi had only one thing in mind: to capture Jin and Kazuya to obtain the devil gene. Once he combined the devil gene with Ogre's blood he had saved, he would become the most powerful man on earth.

Heihachi thought all night long and finally he made up his mind: it was time to announce the Iron Fist Tournament 4, but first he had some homework to do. He was going to choose who was going to enter the tournament this time.

Kazuya Mishima had died many years ago. Well, not literally. But Kazuya was now a mere shadow, trapped in his own consciousness that had been completely dominated by the Devil.

The Devil shared Kazuya's feelings and thoughts, but only the bad ones, of course. Since Ogre was gone, the Devil was becoming stronger and stronger every day, and he was craving for action. It was time to act, time to make Earth a living hell. After all that was the goal of a demon…a real demon.

This connection between a demoniac entity and a human was unusual and risky but it usually worked for both sides. To put it simple: Kazuya had been the perfect "host". All that anger, all that hate, all that will to hurt people…and all that killer instinct, it's was awesome to control someone like that. That's what made Kazuya so special.

At first the Devil had agreed on some issues. He was supposed to give Kazuya more power in order to defeat Heihachi.

"_When you are born in a powerful family, great expectations are formed around you"_. But sometimes things don't go as planned. Kazuya had failed as a Mishima and apparently as a son. Even without words Kazuya could see in his father's eyes that he was disappointed. And one day the confirmation arrived: not only Heihachi said the words but he also brought home a boy…a replacement. He felt he wasn't good enough even though he had been trying for years. At the age of four Heihachi had forced him to learn martial arts. For the next three years Kazuya focused on only one thing: become the best to be able to listen to his father's compliments.

Time passed and Heihachi's compliments were never spoken. Kazuya won trophies and many competitions but he never got his father's approval. Eventually martial arts became part of his life, a refuge, an escape, a way to let his anger out of his system.

In fact, he became really good at it. He was a great fighter but most of all a fair opponent. Heihachi knew that but he could never say it. All those years that he craved for his father's approval suddenly fell apart when Heihachi decided to put him through a test. A survival test actually: he threw Kazuya off a cliff saying to the young boy that if he wanted to belong to the Mishima family and be his heir he would have to find a way to survive the fall and climb up on his own.

Usually a father would never do that to his son, but then again Heihachi Mishima always thought that it wasn't him who had failed has a father, it was Kazuya who was a failure as a son.

The young boy hardly survived the fall and only the hate he felt for Heihachi helped him to live through that hell. The pain he was feeling was nothing compared to the psychological damage that Heihachi had inflicted in him. He wanted revenge but he knew that he was too young and weak to win against his father unless he could have more power.

So when a voice reached him, in that hole covered with his blood, Kazuya didn't think twice about the deal he was going to make with the Devil. His soul for power… that was the deal and he said "yes", how could he refuse?

Lending his body to the Devil didn't even seem a high price to pay in exchange for unlimited powers. All he wanted was to make Heihachi suffer the way he was suffering. He wanted to cause him so much pain that the old man would have to beg for his life.

After that Kazuya didn't care what the Devil could do in his body, as long as Heihachi was dead.

The Iron Fist Tournament 1 was the chance he was looking for. Eight fighters would go to an island where Heihachi was expecting them. The last one standing would have to fight against him and the winner would be considered the King of the Iron Fist. The prize money was irrelevant to Kazuya and when he saw his father he knew that defeat was no longer an option. After the outstanding victory, Kazuya got rid of Heihachi and took over the Mishima Zaibatsu. There were several rumours about the sudden appearance of Heihachi's son and his magnificent strength. In the meantime Kazuya hired personal body guards and became very interested in doing business with some of the most rich and powerful companies in the world. After a while Kazuya also started to do some illegal but rentable activities which gave him the idea to announce the Iron Fist Tournament 2.

Unfortunately for him, nothing went as planned. The Devil had progressively taken over Kazuya's soul but in the tournament the impossible happened. Kazuya started to have feelings again after he met Jun Kazama. She was aware of his nature; she knew his soul was dark and that there weren't any chances to undo the pact with the Devil but still she wasn't ready to quit yet because the attraction was mutual. Only then Kazuya realised that giving away his soul had been his most stupid mistake ever, especially because in the end Heihachi was still alive.

In that weakened state, Kazuya wasn't able to win again and Heihachi won the tournament. This time Heihachi wanted to be sure that his son was dead; he took his body and threw him into the mouth of a volcano.

Having his way cleared of all threats, Heihachi reclaimed the Mishima Zaibatsu and proceed with his plans.

Kazuya's body was lying at the bottom of a crater and once again hate, anger and vengeance were his only companions. The devil gene was fully awakened otherwise Kazuya would be dead. This time the Devil was back for good.

And while Kazuya was saved by the darkness again, it was also the darkness that had sealed his unborn child's destiny forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 4_

South Korea

It was almost a half past eleven and the moon was being covered by a giant cloud. It was about to rain. Hwoarang knew it and cursed his luck. Since he was born he had never been blessed with luck. His daily situation could prove it. In a few days the Iron Fist Tournament 4 was about to start and he was still stuck in that stupid place. Why the hell did he have to be in the Army? It was fun at first but after a few weeks doing the same things over and over it had become boring. He wanted to be away from that place and enter the tournament but he knew he couldn't just ask his superiors to leave for a couple of weeks. Maybe if his mother or father were dying he could be discharged but he never knew his family.

Five more minutes and he would get into action. Since he couldn't escape without someone's help, Hwoarang had told his plan to a friend so he could assist him.

'_-No one escaped this place before…You're crazy. You'll definitely be caught and I'll be in troubles.'-_Tian Sung Jeong said two nights ago when Hwoarang was carefully explaining the plan.

It didn't matter what Jeong thought, once Hwoarang had something on his mind, he would never turn back. Besides Jeong didn't have to do much, just stay alert and open the gate when the guards changed their shift.

But at the last minute Jeong chickened out and went to the call the Lieutenant who immediately gave orders to capture Hwoarang.

For some reason Hwoarang couldn't explain, he was compelled to start the plan earlier and when he realised that Jeong had rat him out, he took his only chance and crossed the gate driving a military jeep. As soon as he lost the element surprise there was no time to waste searching for a civilian car.

But he knew that in a military vehicle he wouldn't go very far as he would be easily detected by the authorities. It was time to put in practice everything he learned in his childhood. To rob a car was easy and almost painless. New cars had more advanced anti-robbery devices but once you're in the business there's no secrets and fortunately Hwoarang was a master in that sort of thing. He wasn't used to steal these days but he still mastered the art. He left the jeep behind and took a black Hyundai parked outside a service area. It would take one hour to get to Seoul and grab a few things. He knew that the authorities would search his apartment so he had to get there first.

Seoul wasn't the prettiest city in the world but it was way better than the Army. When Hwoarang arrived to his apartment he understood why people always take the garbage out before a long trip. It smelled so bad that he almost threw up. But there was no time to think about that. He grabbed a bag, put a few clothes in it and searched for his passport. After that he changed clothes and left. The airport was too far to walk so he decided to ask a favour. Two apartments below his friend Hom Lee was definitely home and probably having fun. Hwoarang waited until he opened the door and realised why it had taken so long.

-'Ti-Jian??? You're dating Ti-Jian?'-Hwoarang asked.-'Does her father know?'

Hom Lee didn't know what caused him more confusion, Hwoarang's question or to actually see his best friend there when he was supposed to be in the Army.

-'What are you doing here?'-he finally asked.

-'She's fifteen…and I always thought she had a crush on me…'

-'She's eighteen…and you didn't answer my question. Plus she always liked me.'

-'Fine…I need you to take me to the airport.'

-'You're in troubles, aren't you?'

He didn't have to be a mind reader to see that Hwoarang was in troubles. Only this time, Hom Lee knew things were serious. To runaway from the Army was a crime and punishable by Court Martial.

-'Are you going to help me or do I have to stay here watching a lousy porn show?'

-'Fine…let me get dressed and I'll drive you.'

Hwoarang waited outside the apartment. He could hear the rain falling outside. Luckily, Hom Lee took only ten minutes so soon they were on their way to the airport.

-'I'm glad you don't need my help to get a girlfriend anymore.'-Hwoarang mocked.

-'Shut up and you better tell me where you're going.'

-'It's safer if you don't you.'

-'The military will hunt you down and lock you up for this.'

-'Only if they catch me.'

-'Couldn't you wait a few months?'

-'No…and by the way…if someone ask about me you never saw me tonight.'

-'Baek would be so disappointed.'

-'Don't talk about him…'

-'Sorry.'

When they arrived to the airport Hom Lee gave Hwoarang an envelope saying that it was in his mailbox for a couple of days. Hwoarang grinned when he realised that it was the invitation to enter the tournament.

-'Good…now I don't have to worry about getting a plan to enter the tournament uninvited.'

Leaving behind a puzzled best friend, Hwoarang took his bag and left hoping that there would be a flight to Japan within a few minutes, otherwise he could get caught. When he asked for information he felt that for the first time in his life he was lucky, so fifteen minutes later he was on board and all he could think of was his vengeance against Jin Kazama.

If he had arrived the airport twenty minutes later he would've been caught. This time luck was on his side. It was about time.

Japan

It had been one hell of a week. Between packing and training, Julia still had a little time to search some information about the Iron Fist Tournament 4. Xiaoyu and Miharu were so excited about leaving Tokyo that they almost forgot their train tickets at home.

Julia hated to wait for other people but considering the fact that her friends knew Tokyo much better than her, she had no option.

As soon as they sat on the train Julia explained what she had found out on the internet.

-'This year the tournament is going to take place in a different island.'-she said, with her laptop on.

-'Where is it, then?'-Miharu asked. She could hardly contain her excitement.

-'It's not in Okinawa…But it's not too far from there.'

-'Well I guess they like to innovate…I mean each year it's in a different place.'

-'Last time wasn't easy to get there…Besides I don't think Russia is the best place to hold a tournament. My opinion is that Heihachi chooses the most convenient places to him in order to have everything under control.'

-'Please let's not talk about Heihachi. He can't be that bad…'-Xiaoyu defended. She was taking his side because even though she hadn't won the Iron Fist 3, he still let her stay in his mansion and was still paying for her education.

-'I can't believe you still think he's a good guy after all he done to Jin.'-Julia stated, feeling that Xiaoyu was betraying her.

-'So did they update the site? Who's going?'-Miharu asked to change the subject.

-'Yeah…they did. But there's no information about us, only pictures and names.'

-'They have my picture? Let me see!'

Miharu snatched the laptop from Julia and searched her picture. She didn't found any, but her name was on the list.

-'I'm not here…'-she sounded disappointed.

-'If you'd let me finish I was going to say that the new fighters don't have their picture yet. You never entered the Iron Fist before.'

-'You look good in your picture Xiao.'-Miharu said.

-'Really?'

-'And Jin too.'

-'Jin looks good in all pictures.'-Xiaoyu said, but she immediately blushed.

Miharu and Julia looked at each other and smiled, but they decided not to comment. They both knew how Xiaoyu felt for Jin and they agreed with her statement but didn't want to say it out loud.

-'I'm not the only new fighter…thank the Gods…'

-'Who else is new?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'Christie Monteiro, Craig Marduk and Steve Fox.'

-'I don't know any of them.'-Xiaoyu complained.

-'I do, Steve is a very famous boxing fighter.'-Julia said.-'I believe he's from the U.K.'

-'A British? I like their accent.'-Miharu joked.-'Well look who's here…the infamous Hwoarang. He looks good in the picture too. I wonder why you don't like him…'-Miharu was being sarcastic but she wanted to tease her friend.

-'That's something you have to experience on your own Miharu. But I'll be surprised if you can spend five seconds with him without wanting to kill him right there.'

-'Is he that bad Xiao?'-Miharu was pretending she didn't know Hwoarang. Before the Tag Tournament, Hwoarang had been in Japan and he had met Jin, Xiaoyu and Miharu. Things didn't go very well because he was rude and a complete jackass. Miharu didn't use to like guys like Jin, but Hwoarang was in a whole different level, he was a nightmare.

-'I'm afraid so. But for some reason he has a special pleasure in making Julia angry. If he didn't hate Jin, I would probably think he's a good person.'

-'He never tried to kill Jin, Heihachi did and you still trust him.'-Julia accused.

-'Are you making excuses for Hwoarang?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'No…I'm trying to make you see who Heihachi Mishima really is.'

-'I think we have a problem…'-Miharu interrupted them suddenly.-'There's another Mishima here.'

-'What other Mishima?'-Julia questioned.

-'There are two Mishimas in the tournament. Can he be Jin's father?'

Xiaoyu and Julia turned white when they saw a "" in the bottom of the list. Everything Michelle had told them was about to happen. Jin was going to be hunted down like an animal and there was no way to warn him. The Devil would easily find him once he got to the tournament and there was a very high possibility that before the end of the tournament Jin would be dead.

-'He's coming for Jin…'-Xiaoyu said feeling terrified.

-'And we can't do a thing to stop him.'-Julia added.

-'So…Kazuya Mishima is going to enter the tournament to find Jin and get his powers?'-Miharu questioned.

-'Yes.'-Xiaoyu confirmed.-'Julia and I won't be able o help him…The Devil is too strong for us.'

-'In that case you better get some help.'-Miharu suggested.

-'Help? From who? Who's going to put his life in danger to help Jin?'-Julia asked with a disbelief look on her face.

-'Well, I guess you need to ask yourselves this question: who is going to benefit the most if Kazuya dies?'-Miharu declared with a grin.-'Isn't it obvious? There's only one person who'd want to see Kazuya dead again…'

Julia and Xiaoyu immediately answered.

-'Heihachi…'


	5. Chapter 5

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 5_

-'This is the smallest hotel ever…'-Miharu said. Both of her friends were also amazed by the size and location of the Sun Shine Hotel in a small Island from the Yaeyama District in the Sakishima Shoto (archipelago).

-'Maybe Heihachi is having some financial problems.'-Julia suggested.

-'Nah…I would know…I mean I live in his mansion.'-Xiaoyu said. She was quite convinced that the Mishimas were still as rich as ever. But Miharu was right, that hotel was nothing compared to the one they had stayed during the Iron Fist 3. Even the old Russian castle was better than that.

The girls decided not to judge the book by its cover and entered the lobby. And again they were disappointed. There was a sushi bar instead of a restaurant and a very small bar, in the first floor there was a living room with sofas and a TV.

-'There's no pool…and I brought my bikini.'-Miharu muttered when she was about to open her bedroom door.-'I'm even scared to open the door.'

-'Well…there's a beach outside. Maybe that's why they don't have a pool.'-Julia tried.

The bedrooms weren't that bad. For some reason that place made Julia remember the university campus in Arizona and she understood that sometimes luxury wasn't the most important thing, especially when the event was a martial arts tournament.

It took her only five minutes after resting from the journey to understand entirely why the tournament was being held in a different island and why everything looked so cheap. This time Heihachi wanted to runaway from the spotlights. Even having been announced on TV, the tournament would remain a secret if the media couldn't find out where and when it was being held.

A big and luxurious hotel would be easily spotted. Now she knew that Heihachi had something to hide.

One thing she knew for sure, Heihachi was planning on using Jin and Kazuya for some weird plan.

Several hours later

The living room in the hotel's first floor had turned into a meeting point. Paul, Marshall and Lei were talking about an idiot TV show. Nina Williams was sitting down on a sofa, armed crossed and ice blue eyes stuck on Steve Fox.

Miharu and Julia tried not to look at him but it was impossible. The British young man had some kind of magnet.

Xiaoyu tried to find Jin but it was obvious that he wasn't there. There was also no sign of Heihachi, Kazuya, Craig Marduk or Yoshimitsu. But the most disturbing absence was actually Anna. It seemed that she hadn't been invited because her name was missing on the list.

-'That's actually a good thing, if she came this would turn into a battle field.'-Xiaoyu said.

-'I wish I could speak English fluently.'-Miharu said watching Steve speaking with the new girl, Christie.

-'I can introduce you.'-Julia offered. She too didn't mind to talk to him for a couple of minutes.

-'Maybe later.'

-'Jin's not here.'-Xiaoyu said and Julia noticed concern in her voice.

-'He'll be here…I'm sure. Besides there are many people missing…'

-'Hwoarang is not here either.'-Miharu supported Julia's words.

-'And he probably won't come because he's in the army…'-Julia sounded relieved.

-'Not anymore Jules…'-a voice behind them announced.

-'Don't call me Jules! We're not best friends.'

-'I thought you'd be happy to see me.'-he mocked.

-'I'm absolutely delighted.'-it was her time to mock him.

-'Please…people are staring.'-Xiaoyu warned.

-'Pigtails…I didn't miss you much but it's good to see you.'

-'Jackass.'-Miharu spat.

-'Wow…Pigtail's clone is here too. Came here to cheer for us?'

-'No…to kill you.'

-'You're so funny. You're the lousiest clone Pigtails could get.'

-'I'm leaving…I'm going to bed.'-Miharu announced. It was hard to have a decent conversation around Hwoarang and she was starting to feel tired.

Xiaoyu followed Miharu but Hwoarang pulled Julia back.'

-'Where's Kazama?'

-'I'm not Jin's babysitter, but if he's not here, he's probably elsewhere.'

-'You don't have to be a genius to know that.'-he retorted.

-'Well…in that case if you're so smart why don't you go find him by yourself?'

-'Because you always know everything.'

-'I don't know where he is and even if I did I wouldn't tell you.'

-'All I want to do is talk…calmly and peacefully.'

-'Talk? Please…I wasn't born yesterday. Besides I know you like talking with your fists.'

-'Oh great…we entered two competitions together and you think you know everything about me!'

-'I don't know everything about you but I do know your type.'

-'I think you really missed me.'-he said with a grin.

-'Don't be so sure.'-Julia tried to sound serious but she had the impression that she failed because Hwoarang was still smiling.

-'She likes me.'-he muttered when she left.

The Next Morning

All the fighters gathered in the living room at exactly 8:00 am, just like it was planned in their schedules. Well, not all of them. Some were still missing. Kazuya, Jin and several others hadn't checked in yet. Heihachi wasn't there either and Hwoarang, well he was a lost case.

He woke up like everyone else, early in the morning and cursed the stupid alarm clock that kept on ringing every ten minutes. If we wanted to have his life planned by the minute he would have never left the Army. Before doing something that would get him into troubles he decided that the best thing to do was getting up and meet the others. Besides, to smash an alarm clock wasn't worth his time and would definitely do some damages in his wallet. His financial situation wasn't the best.

When he arrived all the others were watching television. At first he thought they were just a bunch of idiots because they were wasting time when they could be outside practising or eating breakfast. But then he realised why everyone was staring at the TV. Heihachi Mishima was announcing the tournament rules and explaining how the fighters were going to be selected for the matches. The process was about the same as in the other tournaments. A computer would select the matches and the fighters had fifteen minutes to go to the arena. After that time they would be disqualified.

When they thought the speech was over Heihachi made the most spectacular announcement ever: the winner would inherit the Mishima Zaibatsu.

Marshall Law asked the question everyone was thinking of.

-'Is it true? Can I be the owner of the Mishima Financial Empire?'-he didn't got an answer because the tape was over but now there was an extra reason for everybody to win all the matches and be the number one fighter in the world.

Heihachi Mishima was rich and powerful and who ever won the tournament would become as rich and as powerful as him.

Miharu asked Xiaoyu again about the Mishima financial situation. Maybe Heihachi was trying to get rid of a bankrupted company. In Julia's opinion he could be bluffing or, most probably, he was planning something. First things first, she absolutely needed to find out why he had broke in the G Corporation Labs in Nebraska and stole the reforestation data. Once again Julia needed Jin's help but this time she knew he wouldn't be able to help her. Jin was trying to cope with a very delicate situation in which he could lose his own identity and become a demon or worse.

He was watching the hotel in the shadows but he could feel a dark energy surrounding him. The devil was there and Heihachi was waiting too. One way or another he was going to be caught but that was probably the best way to try to kill both his father and his grandfather.

In the meanwhile Jin saw the fighters leaving the hotel. He didn't know what was happening but he took that chance to check in without being noticed. Just before he entered the hotel Jin took a glance at the girls: Julia, Miharu and Xiaoyu. She was as beautiful as he could remember and it was frustrating not being allowed to talk to her. This time Jin was determined not to involve other people in his businesses, especially people he cared about.

Hwoarang waited for Julia, Xiaoyu and Miharu while the others were going ahead to see the arena.

-'What did I miss?'-he asked.

-'Nothing much.'-Xiaoyu answered not noticing that Julia and Miharu weren't very happy to have him around.

-'When do we start fighting?'

-'If you weren't so damn lazy you would know.'-Miharu spat.

Hwoarang pretended he didn't listen to her and kept on talking to Xiaoyu but then he noticed Julia was too quiet. She hadn't said a word.

-'What's wrong Jules?'-he asked.

-'Don't call me that…only my friends call me Jules and we don't know each other that well.'

-'But we could…I mean I can let you _know_ me if you want.'

-'Arghh…Why me? Why do you always do this? I'm not interested in knowing you. I want to be left alone.'

-'You're just afraid.'

-'Afraid? Are you stupid?'

-'Hey…Could you stop fighting? I mean it's very annoying.'-Steve Fox had turned around and he and Christie were both staring at Hwoarang and Julia.

-'Or you could get a room.'-Christie teased.

Julia didn't like the comment and Hwoarang was surprised because that was something he would actually say in a situation like that.

-'How about you and me in a room, gorgeous?'-Hwoarang wanted to see Christie's reaction and once again he was surprised.

-'Sure, just tell me where and when…if you think you can handle me.'-she deviously proposed.

-'I like girls who say what they think.'-Hwoarang complimented and paced up to join Christie. Before starting a conversation with Christie and Steve, Hwoarang looked over his shoulder to Julia. He did find her attractive and he loved to argue with her even when it was about the smallest things, but if she wasn't interested he had to move on.

-'Can you believe that idiot!?'-Miharu blurted furiously.-'Are you going to let him go that easily?'-she asked Julia.

-'I don't care. He can do whatever he wants.'-Julia said but Xiaoyu could swear her friend was feeling hurt. Hwoarang was an ass but he was good looking and his bad boy act was sometimes appealing. Julia always denied having feelings for the Korean young man, but Xiaoyu knew her better than that. She liked him but she was too scared to admit it because they were too different from each other.

The arena was hidden by a surprisingly beautiful garden, after passing through the garden there were two statues, one each side of the entrance to the yard where the arena was being prepared. The fights would start the next morning. Paul and Marshall would open the tournament with a fierce but friendly match.


	6. Chapter 6

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 6_

Xiaoyu had never seen a fight between two friends last that long. Paul and Marshall were strong, fast and had loads of experience. Compared to her or the new fighters they sure deserved to be treated like true veterans. The match lasted for almost half an hour and ended with an unexpected result: a double KO.

The audience, which was mainly composed by the other fighters and some employees from the hotel, seemed to have enjoyed the show, but both Paul and Marshall were disappointed.

Now that he was almost sure that Kazuya was back, Paul wanted to fight him to even the scores. But after all the time he waited for such a "miracle" to happen (since Kazuya was supposed to be dead), he wouldn't be able to do it. Paul wasn't greedy, money didn't make him happier so he wasn't interested in having hold of the Mishima Zaibatsu all he wanted was a rematch with Kazuya Mishima; Marshall on the other hand really wanted the money and the company. He had many dreams and money was definitely necessary to achieve them. Besides he was broke and his wife would find out soon enough, which meant either he had to win or he could start the arrangements for his own funeral.

Helping each other they managed to return to the hotel complaining of how unfair that result was and how the young fighters weren't winner material.

The sun was shining when Miharu and Xiaoyu went for a walk on the beach. Julia was in a bad mood and Xiaoyu wanted to find Jin. The receptionist told her that Jin had arrived but he wasn't in his room since very early in the morning. She had knocked on his door for several minutes and no one answered it.

Miharu knew her friend was worried about him and although she had accepted Jin as a friend she couldn't stop feeling weird every time she thought about the devil gene and his demonic nature.

To Xiaoyu's despair, Jin was nowhere to be seen and the only person they saw the whole morning was Yoshimitsu. He sure gave them lots of things to talk about.

-'What the hell is he anyway?'-Miharu asked staring at him from a safe distance.

-'Uh…honestly I have no idea, but I believe he is a man…'

-'But that mask…it's so…disturbing.'

-'I agree. But everyone here has secrets and you can't blame him if he wants to hide his true identity.'

-'Maybe he had an accident and is really ugly…or maybe it's a disease.'

-'Maybe…'-the word disease reminded Xiaoyu of the devil gene and the curse that Jin was suffering ever since he was born. He hadn't chosen to have that gene and now he was forced to fight for his own life. It wasn't fair.

-'You're not going to return to the hotel, are you?'-Miharu asked her friend noticing how sad she looked.-'It's such a beautiful day out here.'

-'We should go and check on Julia.'

-'Leave her alone…she's just upset because Hwoarang was talking to the new girl yesterday.'

-'I think Julia likes him too, but she's not the jealous type. If she's upset then it's probably something else.'

-'I'm not going back…I want to soak in the sun and enjoy this moment…this is the closest thing to vacations I had in years.'

-'We could also enjoy our time practising. I don't want to go home without…'

-'Seeing Jin.'-Miharu completed.-'I know you're worried and you miss him but this is beyond us. If you don't want to ask for Heihachi's help, you won't be able to…'

This time Xiaoyu cut her off and started to leave the beach. The sun was making her feel dizzy and she had to think.

-'See you later.'-Xiaoyu waved.

Miharu stood there for a while and when she was about to follow her friend, the new girl arrived and asked if she could join her. She immediately nodded.

-'I'm Christie…and I believe you're new too, right?'

-'Yes.'

-'So how does it feel like?'

-'I don't know. I'm nervous but not that much.'-Miharu confessed.

-'Maybe that's because your friends are giving you some useful advices, right?'

-'Yes…but I worked hard too.'

-'I'm also trying to fit in…but I don't know if I can.'

-'Well you're doing a great job. You even know how to speak Japanese…'

-'I'm not that good but thanks. Actually I'm here to ask you something.'

-'Me?'

-'You're Ling Xiaoyu's friend, aren't you?'

-'Yes, I am. Why?'

-'Because I need to talk to her. It's something personal.'

-'If it's about Jin you should know that Xiao and he are kind of together, although he's going through a rough time and…'

-'Who the hell is Jin?'-Christie interrupted, surprised to see that Miharu was a bit nervous.

-'Oh…you don't know Jin…well sorry about that.'

-'It's ok. Anyway, I really need to talk to her…I know that she's staying with the Mishima family and I want to ask her something.'

-'Who told you that? Oh, wait…Hwoarang…I'm going to kill him!'

-'He was nice…I mean after a few drinks it was easy to make him talk. Actually he reminds me of one of my ex-boyfriends…'

Christie interrupted the conversation because she realised that Miharu wasn't actually comfortable talking about personal issues.

-'I can take you to the right person.'-Miharu said.-'It's going to be interesting…'-she added with a large smile.

-'What do you mean?'

-'Come with me.'

Both girls headed to the hotel where Paul and Marshall were arguing again. The girls entered the elevator and soon were knocking on Julia's door.

-'So what do you want to know about Heihachi?'-Julia asked feeling quite curious. Christie was from Brazil and she never thought that Heihachi Mishima had businesses there.

-'I don't want to know about him. It's Kazuya Mishima I'm interested in.'

This revelation shocked Julia. Kazuya Mishima was dead to the world. Only a few people knew he was alive. Why was Christie one of them? What was her connection with him?

Julia sat down and frowned. She wanted to interrogate the Brazilian girl but she didn't know how to do it without revealing some secrets.

Finally she decided to take a chance.

-'How do you know Kazuya Mishima?'-Julia asked.

-'I don't know him…I mean I never really met him.'

-'Then why are you here?'

-'I'm trying to find someone.'

-'Who?'

-'My master…he entered the Iron Fist 3 to know the truth about his father's death. For some reason he thought that Kazuya Mishima was responsible for it.'

-'Really?'

-'Yes…'

-'So you want to know where Kazuya is?'

-'No, I know that already. Kazuya is supposed to enter this tournament…his name is on the list. But I don't think that he will tell me what I want to know.'

-'Ok…so what do you want?'

-'A leverage…something I can use against him.'

-'What for?'

-'To make him say where Eddy is and to know if he really killed Eddy's father.'

-'You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?'

-'I don't understand.'

-'The Mishima family is dangerous. You have no chance to get close to Kazuya…'

-'I'm not an amateur and I can take care of myself.'

-'I'm sorry but I'm not going to help you getting killed. Believe me that if you do find Kazuya that's what's going to happen to you.'

-'I need to know what happen to Eddy! That's all I care about!'

Christie's words made Julia remember when Michelle was being held by Heihachi and she decided to enter the Iron Fist to save her. She knew how Christie was feeling because she had faced the same situation. Things had worked out for her because she had Jin, Xiaoyu and Hwoarang's help. It would be cruel to ignore Christie and let her deal with the problem all by herself. But it didn't matter what Christie said because when it came to the Mishima family she **was** an amateur.

-'Listen to me, Christie…You're entering an endless road here.'

Miharu glared at Julia. She was totally overreacting.

-'Why do you say that? If you're trying to make me change my mind, it's not going to work.'

-'Fine…I'm just saying that once you're in you can't get out. Understand?'

-'Of course I understand.'

-'In that case I'm going to tell you something about the Mishimas.'

-'I don't care about them…I told you it's Kazuya I want to know about.'

-'I know, but you need to understand that the Mishimas are cursed. Kazuya was supposed to be dead but somehow he came back to life. Now he wants revenge and more power.'

-'What?'-Christie sounded confused.

-'She's not making this up.'-Miharu stated when Christie looked at her.

-'I really don't care about Kazuya's motives to be here.'-Christie told Julia.

-'Don't you want to know why Kazuya killed Eddy's father?'-Julia asked.

-'I want to know if he really did it…Eddy doesn't know for sure.'

-'By the looks of it…Eddy can be dead too.'-Miharu said but she immediately regretted it because Christie was about to cry.

-'I'm sure he's not dead. He can't be…'-she whispered.

-'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.'

-'Look Kazuya probably killed Eddy's father but I'm almost sure that he didn't kill Eddy.'-Julia said quickly to avoid a river of tears.

-'How do you know?'-Christie and Miharu asked together.

-'Because Eddy fought against Xiao in the Iron Fist 3 and he warned her to leave the Mishima Mansion. He told her not to trust Heihachi which means that he knew how dangerous they are.'

-'Did he tell her where he was going?'-Christie asked.

-'No, but since he didn't find Kazuya that year he is probably still trying to find him.'

-'What if Kazuya found him first?'

-'Kazuya didn't want to be found and during almost twenty years he was hiding. We only found out he's alive because he is…'

-'He is what?'-Christie insisted.

Miharu and Julia exchanged looks. They couldn't tell Christie that Kazuya was a demon, that would certainly confuse her more and she could also think that they were crazy.

-'Because his son told us.'-Julia finally said.

Christie looked at her suspiciously.

-'I didn't know he had a son…I read everything about Kazuya in Eddy's notes and he never mentioned Kazuya's son.'

-'That's because he uses his mother's surname. He doesn't like being a Mishima at all.'-Miharu informed.

-'Maybe I should talk to him…maybe he knows if Eddy and Kazuya met or something about Eddy's whereabouts.'

-'I don't think so…'-Miharu confessed.-'Jin Kazama never met his father.'

-'Jin Kazama? He's a fighter too, right?'

-'Yes. But he's kind of busy right now.'-Miharu confirmed.

-'I don't care.'

-'Maybe we can talk to him…if we find him, ok?'-Julia suggested.

Christie walked around and stopped near the window. She watched the sky as if she was considering many options when in fact she had only one. She didn't know Jin Kazama and Julia seemed to have valuable information.

-'Ok…'-she said at last.-'Lets find Jin Kazama.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 7_

After lunch Xiaoyu returned to her room alone and defeated. It was hard to find someone who didn't wish to be found. Was he hiding from Heihachi and Kazuya or was he trying to avoid her?

Although Jin had left without even saying goodbye, Xiaoyu was sure that he hadn't forgotten her just like she couldn't take him out of her mind. More than anything else she wanted to help him. It was horrible to feel helpless. A year ago she was completely sure that she was supposed to fight by Jin's side all the way until he was finally free from the devil gene.

Xiaoyu sat down on her bed and was about to lay down when she noticed a shadow. She immediately took a fighting position but soon she recognised Jin.

Xiaoyu wanted to hug him but for some reason she remained quiet. Jin walked closer to her but didn't make any contact.

-'You should have listened to me. I told you to stay away from Heihachi and this tournament.'-he said.

-'You really know how to make an entrance.'-she stated. Jin noticed bitterness in her voice but he couldn't blame her.

About a year ago he had considered the idea of telling Xiaoyu how much he cared for her but that chance was gone as soon as he realised that he would never have a normal life. She was better off without him and his problems.

Jin still had feelings for her but he was too messed up to focus on a romantic relationship with someone as innocent as Xiaoyu. He thought that his presence would make her happy but even an innocent girl such as Xiaoyu has a limit and leaving without a warning seemed to have turned her affection into rage.

-'Why are you here Jin? I thought you were hiding away from me.'

-'I wish things could be different Xiao.'

-'So you were avoiding me…'

-'I was taking precautions. I know my father and Heihachi want to kill me.'

-'If you know that, why are you entering the tournament?'

This time Jin noticed that she was worried and it was really good to know that she had feelings for him as well.

-'Because I don't want to run forever. I need to sort everything out as soon as possible.'

-'Michelle told us this would happen. Your father is here to kill you and take away your powers. If that happens…'

-'I'm strong…I destroyed Ogre and I won against Heihachi. I think I have a chance against my own father.'

-'He's the devil!'

-'So am I.'

That statement shut her up. It looked like Jin had accepted that he was a monster. In the past, while they were still together, he had never said that out loud. If he was finally accepting his demonic instincts it meant that he had no hope for the future.

-'I can help you…and Julia too.'

-'No. I can't risk your lives. You've done enough for me and my family.'

Xiaoyu faced Jin but his eyes never met hers. To the Chinese girl that was Jin saying goodbye. She wanted to scream and hit him until he realised that he wasn't alone, that he could count on her. She wanted to tell him that he was more than a friend to her and that she would do anything to get him back. But in the end she didn't say a word and he left in silence.

It was over. They were no longer connected. He didn't want her help; actually she wasn't even sure if he ever needed her. He had helped her in the past, in school, training in martial arts; he had protected her against Heihachi and had always made her feel wanted. Because they were friends she had risked her life by fighting alongside Julia and Hwoarang, she was the only one capable of making him turn back to normal after his transformation. With her, he was safer and away from the darkness. But it looked like their dues were settled.

Xiaoyu knew he wasn't turning back. She listened to his steps fading away and remembered that the last time they were together they had almost kissed.

A lonely tear rolled down her cheek but before she could feel sad or angry, someone knocked.

-'Xiao…finally…where have you been?'-Miharu asked when Xiaoyu answered the door.

Julia noticed Xiaoyu's miserable look and tried to get Miharu and Christie out of there but she underestimated Christie's determination to know more information about Eddy.

As soon as Julia told Xiaoyu about Christie's story, the Brazilian girl bombed her with questions. Unfortunately Xiaoyu didn't know much about Eddy and she lied about knowing where Jin was.

-'Are you sure you haven't seen him?'-Christie insisted.

-'I don't think he's interested in being with me.'

-'In that case we have to keep looking.'

-'The next match is about to start. I think we should go there and search for Jin.'-Julia suggested.

-'Ok, lets go.'-Christie quickly opened the door and dragged Miharu along with her. Julia stayed behind.

-'He was here, wasn't he?'-Julia asked.

-'He came to say goodbye.'-Xiaoyu answered and followed Julia out of the room.

In the meantime King was facing the newcomer Craig Marduk. Their fighting styles were similar and there was a lot of tension between the two men. The rumours about their past mentioned a murder many years ago. Miharu finally understood what Xiaoyu meant earlier when she stated that _"Everyone has secrets". _First it was the Mishima issue, now Christie and Eddy's mysteries and least but not last a brutal crime involving two fighters. Was there by chance anyone normal in that tournament?

Christie had joined Steve Fox, who was watching the fight encouraging Craig to attack once more.

-'You're really into it, huh?'-Christie asked amused.

-'I have a bet on him…he better win this match or I'll be broke.'-Steve confessed.

-'How much did you bet?'

-'Two hundred dollars.'

-'Who's collecting the bets? I want in…'-Christie took her wallet to see how much money she could bet.

-'I am…'-Hwoarang joined them and grinned. Then he saw the reprehensible look on Julia's face.

-'Christie, betting is illegal.'-Julia warned.-'Besides you can lose all your money.'

-'I know that. But it's so cool…the rush, the adrenaline…I used to bet a lot when I was dating Nelson but then we broke up and…'-Christie's smile faded away and she stopped talking. Then she gave Hwoarang one hundred dollars and placed her bet on Craig to win.

-'Are you sure?'-Hwoarang asked.-'I'd bet on King.'

-'Nah…Craig Marduk is stronger.'-Steve said.

-'But King looks more motivated.'-Hwoarang explained.-'Do you want to join us?'-he added to Julia.

-'No…I'm not that stupid.'-she answered.-'As if we're going to spend our money on a bet.'

But Miharu and Xiaoyu were already giving him money.

-'What are you doing?'-she asked almost in shock.

-'Everyone is betting…and we sure need to have some fun.'-Miharu declared.-'Even Xiao looks happier…you're the only one who's worried about it.'

-'I can't believe you're falling in his scheme…'-Julia accused pointing out a finger at Hwoarang.

-'Come on…you're just angry because last night he was talking to Christie.'-Miharu said and received a furious glare from her friend. Thanks to the noise only Xiao and Christie had listened to Miharu's statement. She didn't accuse Julia of being jealous but it sounded that way.

-'Don't worry Julia, there's nothing going on between us. I needed to ask him about Xiaoyu and…'-Christie started but she was suddenly interrupted by Julia, who was now almost, out of herself.

-'Why does everyone say that?! I don't care about him! I'm not interested and I never was! We don't even like each other!'

'Ok, ok…fine.'-Miharu apologised.-'Calm down…let's just watch the fight.'

-'I'm leaving…'-Julia turned her back on her friends and left quickly.

-'What's her problem?'-Hwoarang asked.

-'Apparently…you.'-Christie informed and Hwoarang shrugged because he had no idea what she was talking about.

-'I think she's in denial.'-Miharu said.-'But I owe her an apology.'

Later that night it was Miharu's turn to be upset. She had just found out that her opponent would be Hwoarang. He had already told her how strong he was and how lame her fighting skills were so Miharu was feeling the pressure getting to her pretty hard. She barely ate and went to bed trying to forget his annoying grin when he saw her name as his adversary. Julia's apology would have to wait.

Xiaoyu wasn't too worried about Miharu because in the Iron Fist 3 Hwoarang wasn't too rough on Julia, which meant he actually cared. She too went to bed trying to forget about Jin and his problems.

Julia was about to go to bed when someone knocked at her door. Although she didn't want to answer it because she was almost sure that Miharu would be on the other side, she opened the door anyway. She was surprised to see Steve.

-'Hi, can we talk?'

Julia frowned. She actually didn't know what to say. He was the last person she was expecting to see at her door. But curiosity won and she let him in.

-'It's hard to find you alone…I'm sorry I had to come this late at night.'-he said smiling.

-'Why do you want to speak to me in private?'-she asked. Suddenly she realised that it could be one of Hwoarang's pranks or maybe a bet between them. She crossed her arms and glared at Steve who took a few steps back towards the closed door.

-'I…kind of need your help.'

-'What for?'

-'Hwoarang said you're good with…'

-'Always him! I'm so sick of Hwoarang…'-she exploded throwing her arms in the air.-'Don't you have anything better to do?'

-'Wait…let me explain…'

-'Three seconds, that's all you have.'

-'I need your help to crack down some passwords…I need to see what's in those files.'

Julia was now silent. Steve didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign but he decided to wait.

-'Files?'-she finally asked.

-'Yes, I have it in my computer.'

-'So you can't access the files yourself?'

-'No, Heihachi is really good when it comes to security.'

-'Heihachi? You stole Heihachi Mishima's files?'

-'Yes…but I'm not the first one doing it, am I? Because Hwoarang told me about the Iron Fist Tournament 3 and how you…'

-'Ok…I understand. I guess I can help you out.'

-'Great. I'll get my laptop.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

Thanks for your reviews: SeungSeiRan, Sora, Trinitybelle, lalalalalalalalalla, otaku freak to the 3rd power and TJSC25.

_Chapter 8_

Julia worked about three hours straight on Steve's computer before succeeding. When she finally entered the right codes, the screen turned white and it opened some documents that Steve didn't allow her to see.

-'You're not going to tell me what's going on between you and Heihachi Mishima?'-Julia asked.

-'I have nothing to do with Heihachi Mishima…I'm just investigating the Mishima Labs…'

-'The Labs? Why?'

-'That's my problem. You did your part and I appreciate it. Thank you.'

-'Well…if you say so.'

-'The rest is up to me.'

When Steve was leaving, Hwoarang was returning to his room. Steve noticed he was drunk but since he was in a hurry he simply wished a good night for both and left. Before closing her door Julia heard Hwoarang whisper a few words _"To be with Blondie here she feels fine"_ but she preferred not to comment, especially because he wasn't sober.

The next morning Hwoarang woke up with a huge headache. He left for breakfast hoping that after having eaten something he would feel better.

He was about to start eating when he remembered that he was supposed to fight that morning. He quickly searched for his watch and realised that he had left it in his room. After asking the time Hwoarang left running. He was late, hungry, tired and in a very mad mood. His head was pounding and he was about to be disqualified. Cursing all the way to the arena, Hwoarang hit and stepped on a few people but managed to get there on time.

Miharu was even more nervous than before. She almost thought he wasn't going to show up. Xiaoyu wasn't worried but she had never seen Hwoarang miss a fight. The happiness and relief in Miharu's heart disappeared when the red-hair Korean entered the arena. Xiaoyu tried to calm Miharu down, telling her about Julia and Hwoarang's fight in the Iron Fist Tournament 3 and how he wasn't too rough on her. Was it because she was a girl or because he liked her?

Whatever it was, Xiaoyu knew Hwoarang wasn't going to hurt her friend even if he didn't like her much. What she didn't know was that Hwoarang was with a hangover and wanted to finish the fight as fast as he could, even if that meant to knock Miharu down with his most powerful punch.

-'Well…you sure know how to create suspense, huh?'-Miharu teased, trying to put a strong front.

-'Please…shut up. Your voice is giving me a headache.'-Hwoarang replied.

Miharu's face turned white when she heard the judge's voice to start fighting. Everyone was surprised because ten minutes later Miharu was still up and although she was tired, she was actually able to defend herself against Hwoarang's attacks. Hwoarang seemed to be sick which allowed Miharu to dream about a victory. The dream was too short though…She understood her real situation after getting up for the fourth time in only five minutes. Hwoarang wasn't fighting one hundred percent but he was still faster and stronger than her. Besides he had two advantages over her: experience and self-confidence. His self-confidence could easily be misunderstood with narcissism but still it was a very powerful tool to use, especially when he was with a major hangover and slower than usual.

Twenty minutes and twelve seconds was the time the match lasted. After being sent to the ground by one of Hwoarang's kicks, Miharu decided to lay down the necessary time to be eliminated from the tournament. She knew she couldn't keep up Hwoarang's pace and although she could still fight, it was no use pretending that she could win.

When Hwoarang left the arena, after being announced the winner, Law and Paul surrounded him.

-'You are rusty kid.'-Paul said with a grin.-'I've seen you do better.'

-'That's because I'm not feeling well.'-Hwoarang told him, trying to justify the twenty minutes it had taken him to win against such a weak opponent.

-'Let's' go to the bar then…you can pay us a few drinks and we'll forget about this.'-Law suggested.

-'I can't, I'm broke. Besides I'm with a huge hangover right now. That's why it took me so long to defeat Pigtails' clone.'

-'Broke!?'-Xiaoyu asked suddenly. She had been eavesdropping everything.-'What did you do to our money from the bets?'

-'How do you think I got this hangover you idiot?'-he replied.

-'You're a selfish jackass!'-she spat.

-'Don't blame me for that. You're the one who bet on Marduk. I told you King was the right choice.'

-'You knew who was going to win?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'Of course not. How could I know that?'

While they were arguing the crowd started to leave. In an hour the next fight would be announced and the fighters couldn't hide their excitement. As for Miharu, everyone had forgotten about her. _"History only remembers the winners"_ she thought to herself. She watched as Xiaoyu continued to insult Hwoarang. By that time he was about to explode with anger. Not that the argue was a big deal but because his head was hurting so much he could hardly think or listen what Xiaoyu was saying.

When Miharu was about to get up someone offered a helping hand. She looked up and saw Julia.

-'You shouldn't be helping me. I still owe an apology.'-Miharu confessed.

-'Forget about it. I know how you must be feeling right now.'

-'Really?'

-'Yeah…But if it makes you feel better, I didn't last twenty minutes against him.'

Suddenly Miharu remembered that Julia had lost against Hwoarang in the third tournament. Xiaoyu had told her about it.

-'It really sucks, doesn't it?'-Julia smiled.

-'Yes…but this was the only possible outcome for me.'

-'You fought well. You should be proud.'

Miharu nodded and they both joined Xiaoyu.

-'Are you ok?'-Xiaoyu asked realising how inconsiderate she had been towards Miharu.

-'Yes…just a bit sore.'

-'She needs a check up. Lets go to the medical room.'-Julia suggested.

-'I told you to quit.'-Hwoarang said watching Miharu holding her arm.

-'Shut up.'-she retorted.

-'You should've told her that she had no chance to win.'-Hwoarang told Julia who fumed and tried to ignore him.-'After all I kicked your ass once because you froze when you looked at me and saw how handsome I am.'

Julia was about to reply when Miharu took a few steps forward to face the Korean.

-'Don't be so sure. Julia would never let her emotions overcome her mind. Besides, there's nothing about you that can possibly attract her.'

Julia was surprised to hear Miharu talking that way considering that her friend also thought that she liked Hwoarang.

-'That's what you think…'-he said calmly.

-'Lets go back to the hotel. Miharu needs to go see the doctor.'-Xiaoyu declared. If only Jin was there, he would make sure Hwoarang didn't bully them anymore.

The three girls left and Hwoarang followed them in silence. He went straight to his room and slept for two hours.

In the meantime Miharu was having a total check up and she was cleared a few minutes later. Besides the bruises she would be alright. Xiaoyu tried to forget about Jin but over lunch she didn't say a word. Miharu and Julia noticed but they knew there was nothing they could do to help.

The second match of the day was announced and Xiaoyu turned her attention to it. It was Julia's turn to fight and her opponent was Heihachi.

Miharu and Xiaoyu looked at each other worriedly. Heihachi was the tournament's host and one of the most powerful fighters. So far Jin had been the only one capable to win against the old man. Julia knew she was in trouble.

-'It doesn't mean you won't win.'-Miharu tried to cheer her a bit.

-'Miharu's right…besides you've been training hard.'-Xiaoyu reassured.

-'Pigtails and her clone are both wrong.'-Hwoarang announced. He sat down next to Julia and took some chips from her plate.-'I'm starved.'-he added.

-'Go order your own lunch!'-Julia protested.

-'Don't be like that…I'm here to help you.'-he calmly announced.

-'Who said I need your help?'

-'I fought against the old man and although I would rather forget about it, I'm still going to give you a piece of advice.'-Hwoarang looked at her seriously and Julia finally accepted to listen to him.

-'What then?'-she asked.

-'Your mother isn't his hostage again, is she?'

-'No, she's fine.'

-'You don't want revenge, right?'

-'What's in the past is in the past. I'm not a vindictive person.'

-'In that case you should quit.'-Hwoarang's words almost caused her to hit him.

-'What!? That's your advice!?'

He nodded and took a few more chips.

-'Why are you so surprised? You know you don't have a chance. Besides you gave me the same advice when I was about to face him.'-Hwoarang informed.

-'Because I knew how you'd react after losing the match!'

-'Bullshit! I don't know why exactly you asked me to quit but whatever the reason was you always knew I wouldn't quit.'

-'In that case why are you doing the same to me now?'

-'Because you're supposed to be smarter and you don't take chances. You always play safe.'

-'I'm not going to quit.'

-'It's your funeral…Are you going to finish your lunch?'-he asked.

-'You have some nerves!'-Miharu accused. She didn't know what his reasons to go there and encourage Julia to quit were. Maybe he was worried about her or maybe he was just being the same old jackass who loves teasing other people.

-'What? I'm broke and I clearly need to eat. Do you want me to starve?'-he continued.

Julia got up and pulled Xiaoyu and Miharu, but the girls kept on eating until their plates were empty.

Hwoarang pulled Julia's plate to him.

-'Did you come here for a free meal or to mock Julia?'-Miharu asked.

-'I only wanted to give her a good advice but since she refused it I guess the only thing I can do now is to remember her that she owes me.'

Julia crossed her arms and practically tried to fulminate Hwoarang with her eyes. He didn't seem affected by that.

-'You're such a jackass.'-Miharu continued. She was absolutely disgusted to see how selfish and inconvenient he could be. Not to mention childish, irresponsible and other bad things.

When she realised she wouldn't win that argument because he was simply having fun, Miharu turned to her friends. Only then she noticed Xiaoyu was gone.

-'Where the hell is she?'-she asked Julia, but the Native American girl was also puzzled. She hadn't seen Xiaoyu leaving and neither did Hwoarang who was more concentrated on the food.

-'Let's' go find her before my match.'-Julia said but for some reason she had a feeling that Xiaoyu didn't want to be found.


	9. Chapter 9

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 9_

Julia never thought she would have to face Heihachi so soon. She knew Hwoarang was right. Heihachi was too strong but she didn't want to quit. She owed it to her mother who was a powerful fighter and had always taught her to face an opponent even when he was stronger. _"You learn more with your defeats than with your victories." _Michelle's words proved to be accurate and Julia also had an extra motive to face Heihachi and try to win: he was a horrible man. Heihachi Mishima was actually the perfect spokesperson to all bad men in the world: a lousy father, a greedy man, an ambitious jerk and a selfish bastard. If only she could win.

Miharu was near the arena where Julia was expecting the Mishima patriarch. The Japanese girl was looking all around the place, searching for Xiaoyu. She was definitely worried about the Chinese young woman. Xiaoyu was strong and perfectly capable of taking care of herself but if she was with Jin things were different. She wanted to believe that Jin was innocent and a good person, but Miharu had the impression that the Jin from the past was gone and in his place there was a different person.

"_He can harm her…he's the son of the devil…We can't__ trust him anymore." _Miharu's thoughts were erased when Heihachi Mishima entered the arena. Miharu saw Julia getting prepared and mentally wished her good luck.

In the first five minutes Heihachi played Julia's game. He even went to the ground once. Julia knew he was pretending but there was nothing she could do. She remembered all the things her mother had taught her and yet she knew it wasn't enough. Not against Heihachi.

-'You've done well.'-Heihachi complimented her.

"_What the hell is he trying to do? Win with nice words?"_ Julia thought. Jin had told her how hard it was for Heihachi to congratulate other fighters. When Julia didn't thank him, Heihachi knew his attempt to make her let down her guard hadn't succeeded.

-'You're a hypocrite.'-Julia spat, using that time to rest.

-'And you're going home sooner than you thought.'-he replied.

-'Even if I lose, I'll be around to keep an eye on you.'

-'How's your mother?'-Heihachi sure knew how to angry her.

-'Why didn't you stop by our house when you went to Nebraska?'-Julia inquired.

Heihachi looked at her surprised. He wasn't expecting her to interrogate him about the G Corporation's break in.

-'News travels fast…But I don't know what you're talking about.'-Heihachi said trying to sound innocent. Julia didn't believe him.

Since Heihachi wasn't going to admit he had ordered his men to steal the reforestation data from Nebraska G Corporation's facilities, there was nothing more to talk about. Julia took her fighting stance and charged against her opponent. She didn't want to lose without giving him a few bruises, after all that was the man that had kept her mom hostage and was trying to kill Jin. He deserved much more than a bruise but she wasn't strong enough.

A few minutes later Julia was starting to give up. After her arm was grabbed and twisted, she tried to break loose and kicked Heihachi but then she felt her body become heavier than usual and fell on her knees. She looked at Heihachi and saw him holding his stomach. It looked like she had done some damages too. The Spirits had listened to her.

Julia wanted to get up and continue the fight but she was too tired. Heihachi knew her fighting style and was able to dodge and block her attacks. Only once she managed to hit him perfectly in the face. With pleasure she saw blood coming out of his broken nose, but apart from that, the old man was definitely dominant. Now she didn't have the strength to stand up. The last thing she saw before passing out was something red and she clearly heard someone say "stay on the ground".

When Julia woke up she was still in the arena. Miharu and Christie were both standing next to her. Heihachi was leaving surrounded by his tekken guards. Miharu was talking to her but she hadn't listened to a word. Then Christie helped her getting up and Julia came out of her trance.

-'Are you ok?'-Miharu asked for the third time.

-'Yes…I think so.'-she rubbed her stomach and realised she hadn't suffered serious injuries. Her right arm was still numb though.

-'I wonder where Xiao is…'-Miharu said.

-'The old man is tough…are you alright?'-Steve asked approaching the girls.

The next few seconds made everyone think they were in a movie. The moment Steve touched Julia's shoulder she felt an arm around her waist pulling her down. Everyone was screaming and Julia watched Miharu and Christie hiding behind a pillar. Shots were being fired but she couldn't see where they were coming from.

Hwoarang was lying down right next to her. He was the one who had pulled her down to the floor.

-'I can't believe they found me.'-he said.

Before she could ask what he meant by that Julia fainted again. She had hit her head on the floor. She didn't see Lei firing against the shooter nor Steve running towards the hotel after the shots ceased.

-'I'll never enter this stupid tournament again!'-Miharu announced. Christie laughed a bit but then she realised Miharu was serious.

The girls took Julia back to the hotel where she had medical assistance. The doctor told them she had a minor concussion and needed to rest for a few days.

By that time Lei had reached a dead end. He had searched all over the hotel and didn't find the shooter. Finally he decided to have a word with Steve Fox. He knew the young British boxer was the real target. In the past Steve had been involved with the Syndicate, and now the Mafia wanted him dead.

Steve had survived so far by pure luck. This time the bullets had missed him by a few centimetres, next time he could end up in a coffin. Lei's job was to guarantee his safety.

He searched Steve's room but he wasn't there. The only thing Lei found was a laptop and what he saw on the screen made him shiver. It looked like Steve had discovered the shooter's identity and she was also a fighter. Lei knew about Nina's past as a professional assassin. Currently she was a mercenary and she was working for the Syndicate. The fact that she was the shooter gave Steve minor chances of survival. But there was something even more spectacular on the file he was reading: Nina was also Steve's mother. How the hell was that possible? She was about Steve's age.

He had to find Steve as soon as possible and confront him about what was truly happening.

Meanwhile Hwoarang was in his room, bag half packed. He took his passport and placed it in his pocket then he looked out of the window. There was something going on. He could feel it.

During the gun firing he thought the Korean Army had tracked him down but after all it was just a misunderstanding and although he knew that the bullets were actually meant for someone else, he couldn't stop feeling insecure.

Not knowing what to do he left his room and went to see Julia. Christie was with her and let him in even though Julia had told her she didn't want to see anyone while she was resting.

The Brazilian girl wanted to help Miharu searching for Xiaoyu because she had the feeling that if they could find Xiaoyu they would definitely find Jin as well. Besides that was a great opportunity to leave Julia and Hwoarang alone and sort things out between the two of them.

-'What do you want? To rub salt in my wounds?'-Julia asked when Christie left.

-'Maybe.'

-'Just leave…I really don't want to talk right now.'

-'How's your head?'-he insisted.

-'Why do you care?'

-'You should thank me…I saved your life.'

-'For all I know that bullet was meant for you. Who are you running from?'

-'I'm not running…'

-'Liar.'

-'Are you going home soon?'-he tried to change the subject.

-'No…I'm staying to help Jin.'

-'Why? I think he doesn't need any help.'

-'Friends don't leave each other's side and we need to stop Kazuya from getting Jin's powers.'

-'Kazuya? You mean Kazama's father is actually here?'

-'Yes.'

-'So if Kazama and his demonic father face each other…what happens?'

-'Bad things. It depends on who wins.'

-'So you and Pigtails…what's your part in all of this? Do you have a plan or something?'

Julia closed her eyes and remained in silence. There wasn't much she could tell him besides she knew the only thing he was interested in was a rematch against Jin. Fortunately she was "saved by the bell". Someone was at the door and when Julia was about to get up Hwoarang did something unexpected.

-'I'm not doing you a favour…I'm just closer to the door.'-he said.

Steve was a bit surprised to see Hwoarang in Julia's room, but then he realised they had known each other for at least two years.

-'Am I interrupting?'-he asked trying to be polite.

-'Yeah…you are.'

-'I just need to speak to Julia.'

-'She's sleeping.'

-'No, I'm not.'-Julia's voice reached them.

Steve entered and took Julia's hand in his.

-'The bullet was meant for me. I'm sorry you got hurt.'-he confessed.

Julia and Hwoarang didn't say a word. Julia didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask him about it but Steve wasn't the type of guy who liked to tell everyone about his life. Hwoarang on the contrary, wanted to say a lot of things to Steve but he was more focused on Steve's hand holding Julia's.

The British young man apologised again and left.

-'He's definitely up to something.'-Hwoarang started but Julia wasn't in the mood.

-'I lost against that old psycho and I was almost shot…so I really don't want to hear you talking nonsense about Steve Fox just because he held my hand.'

-'What? Are you kidding me? You're the one talking nonsense.'

-'Why are you still here? Are you worried about me?'

-'In your dreams Chang.'

-'In that case I need to rest…bye.'

Hwoarang didn't have a choice and he left. He ended up not telling her what he was supposed to but since she was all excited about Steve and his "living-target" issue he wasn't going to bother her anymore.

Meanwhile Miharu and Christie couldn't find Xiaoyu anywhere and finally gave up.

-'Why are you so worried about Xiaoyu? If she's with Jin Kazama, she'll be fine. I mean didn't you say they have some kind of relationship?'

-'Yes…but I'm not so sure…Jin's a lot different now. I just hope she's not with him.'


	10. Chapter 10

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 10_

Miharu would be disappointed if she knew where Xiaoyu really was. She had seen Jin outside the hotel at lunch and followed him. He was trying to cope with everything but he was doing a lousy job. Whenever he felt sad and hopeless he used to think about his mother but now all hope was gone.

Sick and tired to go through all that alone, Jin allowed Xiaoyu to approach him and it felt good when she hugged him. No words were needed. For a few minutes Jin thought his nightmare was finally over but when he opened his eyes reality hit him again. Harder than usual because he had done something he had vowed not to do again. He had allowed Xiaoyu to enter his life once more and yet he knew she would suffer.

-'You know I want to help you, don't you?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'Yes…but it's not that simple.'

-'Why not? If I were in troubles wouldn't you help me?'

-'Of course I would, but I'm not just in troubles Xiao…it's too dangerous. That's why I sent you that e-mail…that's why I wanted you to be away from me.'

-'I wish we could talk more. I mean why did you have to take all these decisions on your own?'

-'Because I'm the one to blame.'

-'That's not true. If you want to blame someone try your father and Heihachi.'

-'It's too late for me. No one can help me now.'

-'We can try.'

-'The only way I could be free from this stupid curse was if we could change the past.'

-'You're giving up on hope.'-Xiaoyu said and hugged him again. Jin returned the hug only for a couple of minutes, and then he looked her straight in the eyes.

-'There's no such thing as hope. I know that now.'

She didn't understand if he was feeling sad, frustrated or disappointed.

-'Xiao…I need you to promise me something.'

-'Sure…'

-'No matter how this tournament ends, I want you to follow your dreams.'

-'My dreams?'

-'Yes. Remember the amusement park you wanted to build?'

-'Yeah. Why?'

-'You need to fight hard to fulfil that dream. Just make sure you build it and try to live a happy life, ok?'

Xiaoyu nodded. She didn't know what else to say. Actually she did know what to say, she was just afraid to say it. She didn't care less about the amusement park. The only thing she really wanted was to save him. Hours passed. They heard the screams and the shooting but decided to stay put. It was nice to know that once in a while troubles weren't meant for them.

The sun was about to disappear in the horizon when they realised how late it was. Xiaoyu watched the sunset and couldn't help to feel disappointed. In a few minutes they would have to part again and it was just as if that day never existed.

She was trying her best to reach to him but the devil gene was a curse too powerful.

On their way back to the hotel Xiaoyu told Jin that she didn't want to keep being treated as his enemy.

-'Just don't act as if we don't know each other, ok?'-she said before entering the hotel.

-'Ok…but I have to stay low. My grandfather and Kazuya are probably after me.'

-'I know.'

-'If they see us together you'll be a target as well.'

-'I'm just saying that you shouldn't avoid me.'

_It's not that I want to avoid you, if I could choose my life I would always be with you. _Jin thought.

-'Aren't you coming in?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'No…I'm going to practice.'

-'It's almost dark.'

-'Right now it is darkness what suits me best.'

Xiaoyu didn't like to hear those words, but she didn't want to argue with him. So she nodded and let him go.

On her way to her room she ran into Steve.

-'Your friends have been trying to find you for hours.'-he said.

-'I was busy…By the way, do you know if Julia won?'

-'No, she didn't. Now if you excuse me I have to go.'

-'What are you trying to find in such a hurry?'

-'My past.'

Xiaoyu didn't understand what he meant by that, but it was obvious that he didn't want her to know. She was about to enter her bedroom when she decided to pay Julia a visit to check up on her and maybe it would also be a good idea to let Miharu know that she was back.

Miharu was with Julia and when she opened the door, she let go a sigh of relief.

-'We were so worried about you.'-Miharu confessed. She didn't want to say that she was worried that Jin had hurt her, but Xiaoyu knew it already.

Xiaoyu thought about an excuse but she couldn't find any. Therefore she decided to speak the truth.

-'I was with Jin.'

_Tell me something I don't know_, Miharu thought.

-'How is he?'-Julia asked.

-'Better than you…I guess.'-Xiaoyu was not surprised to see that Julia had been injured during the fight against Heihachi. She had watched the old man fight many times and she knew he was really strong. Actually Jin was the only one who was able to win against him.

-'It's a minor concussion.'-Julia informed.

-'Heihachi didn't do it actually.'-Miharu explained.-'You should've been with us…it was just like a movie.'

Xiaoyu was puzzled. If Heihachi hadn't been responsible for Julia's injury, who was it?

-'What happened?'-she questioned.

Miharu resumed the whole story and gave Xiaoyu a disappointed look. She was a bit upset that her friend had actually chosen to be with Jin, who she thought to be very dangerous, instead of being with her friends.

-'So…Hwoarang saved you?'-Xiaoyu asked still amazed.

-'Kind of…'

-'And the person who should've been shot was Steve Fox?'

-'Yes.'-Julia answered.-'He was here earlier to apologise.'

-'No wonder he was acting strangely.'-Xiaoyu whispered.

-'Are you going to meet Jin tomorrow?'-Miharu asked.

It seemed that Jin would be the subject of all the conversations for the rest of the night. Only then Xiaoyu realised she didn't want to share more things about Jin and her. To think about his situation and the fact that they could no longer be together was painful and she didn't want to talk about it all the time. But how could she escape her friends' questions without being too rude? It was only natural for them to worry and want to know details, wasn't it?

In the meantime Steve had run into Lei Wulong. The Chinese man was trying to convince him that he should forget about the shooter and return to his room.

-'You don't understand…I really need to find her.'-Steve insisted.

-'I know you're confused but you don't know who you're dealing with.'-Lei warned him.-'I know that woman better than you despite the circumstances.'

-'What do you mean?'

-'I mean I've been in this tournament longer than you. I know her for years…and you…you're risking your life going to meet her.'

-'I need to. I need to know something.'

-'I've been in your room. I know you think she's your mother…but maybe it's just a lie. The Mishima Labs Corporation can't be trusted.'

-'Come on…Can you deny that we look like each other?'

-'So what? There are billions of people like you and her. Matching hair and eye colours don't mean anything.'

-'Then what do you suggest? To live my life without knowing?'

-'I think you should let me do my job. I'll get her and the guys who ordered your death and then you can go search for the truth. But right now you need to be safe. Got it?'

-'I appreciate your concern about me but I can take care of myself.'

-'Are you sure? I mean…what do you _really_ know about Nina Williams?'

-'I know she looks like me.'

-'Look kid, she's a heartless assassin…she kills people for a living and she doesn't give a damn.'

-'I bet she wasn't always like that.'

-'Maybe. But that doesn't mean she'll let you live. If she was ordered to kill you, your chances are pretty small. Nina is lethal.'

-'I think she'll give me a chance to explain.'

-'Explain? Explain what? She has a feud with her own sister that will only end once one of them actually dies! She's a broken person who only cares about herself.'

-'Aren't we all?'

Steve turned around and started to walk towards is room. There was no point to continue the argument with Lei. Besides he would have the chance to meet Nina next morning since they were going to face each other in the battle arena. It was just a matter of time.

In the darkness Jin practiced. Alone in silence but without fear. The fact that he was no longer able to feel fear scared the hell out of him. He was becoming someone he could no longer recognise, someone different and evil. The ironic part was that even though he was the strongest man on earth he couldn't do anything to save himself. Against that sort of thing he was powerless. The only thing he could do was waiting and praying for help. Help from above, from Jun, his beloved mother. But it looked like she was too busy right now so he had to embrace his destiny alone.

Once again he thought about Xiaoyu and her will to help him. She had offered a helping hand but his ego and his will to protect her against all evil (including himself) didn't allow accepting it.

For the time being Jin wanted to focus on the battle ahead. He didn't know exactly what Heihachi was planning but he would have to face the old man again very soon. He had already won against Julia which meant he had proceeded to the next round. As for Kazuya, Jin didn't know how but he had to find a way to face his father and win because it could be the only way to have his own life back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 11_

Not wanting to be accused of being a bad friend, Xiaoyu woke up early in the morning and went to get Miharu. Both girls decided to leave Julia resting and went to see Steve's match.

Xiaoyu didn't find any trace of Jin but she never spoke a word. She knew that her friend didn't trust him. She wanted to speak up for Jin so that Miharu could see, once and for all, that the Japanese young man was despite all facts, an innocent victim of his ancestors. But she knew that Miharu was stubborn and would never listen to her so she tried to focus on the young blond man in the arena.

Xiaoyu didn't know much about him, but whenever she had seen him he looked like a confidant person. Yet right now he looked the exact opposite.

-'He looks really nervous.'-Xiaoyu said.

-'It's the first time he enters the tournament. How did you feel when you fought for the first time?'-Miharu asked.

-'You're right…'

Steve was indeed very nervous, maybe even terrified. He was about to face his mother. It had been difficult to escape the Syndicate alive but knowing that his biological mother was Nina Williams was even more difficult to bear. He had so many questions to ask her and yet he had no idea if she knew the truth. That was why he had to play safe and be extremely careful with his words. The only problem was that Nina was there to kill him. That was why Steve was hoping that for once, God didn't play a trick on him.

Since she had lost her memory Nina had tried to unveil the secrets of her past but so far she hadn't succeeded. It was a side effect from the cryogenic sleep she had been submitted to after the Iron Fist Tournament 2. All that Nina was able to remember was the hate between her and Anna. It was much more than a simple rivalry between siblings. Thinking about it, she didn't hear from her sister for a few months but honestly, she didn't give a damn. Anna could be rotting in prison or even dying on the bottom of a cliff and still, she wouldn't care at all.

If Nina was a believer she would definitely say God had a very twisted sense of humour. Last night, after reading some files about the cryogenic sleep she had been put through, Nina learned that she had a child. She didn't even remember her own mother and now she was someone's mum. As if this wasn't weird enough, her child was now 21 years old and was the man she had been ordered to kill, Steve Fox. Wasn't it ironic? Actually it sounded more like a joke, but watching the young British man's picture, she could see the resemblances. It wasn't a lie.

Blue eyes, blond hair, good looking, good fighter…just like her. Nina didn't know why she was having second thoughts about pulling the trigger. She was used to kill people all the time. Family or simple strangers, she was unable to feel empathy as before death everyone is equal. And now she was confused because she knew that the person she was meant to kill was somehow a part of her.

After thirty minutes it was clear that Nina wasn't going to show up but Lei had his own reasons to be on red alert. The judge had already disqualified her from the tournament and he was about to declared Steve the winner when a red dot appeared in Steve's blue shirt.

-'Get down!'-Lei yelled trying to see where the shooter was.

It took Steve at least ten seconds to realise what was happening. Unsure of what to do he didn't move and waited for the shot but it never happened.

Lei told him that Nina was ruthless and had never missed a shot yet he was still alive. Could she know already? After a few more seconds Steve noticed that Lei was going after someone and decided to follow him through the woods.

Jin was coming out of the woods when suddenly he noticed three people passing by him running full speed: Nina first, then Lei and finally Steve. He had no idea what was happening but he didn't care that much to go after them. When he got to the arena everyone was already leaving and he noticed Xiaoyu standing next to Hwoarang. The Korean had his arm around her shoulder. Jin didn't feel happy about it but he didn't have the courage to approach them and show his disapproval. Xiaoyu was free to be with anyone she wanted to although Hwoarang wasn't properly the best choice for a boyfriend.

A few hours later the next match was announced. Lei would face the newcomer Christie Monteiro, but there weren't any signs of him, Steve or Nina. Christie had spoken to Xiaoyu about Jin, she wanted to know his whereabouts but Xiaoyu didn't know. Jin was staying in a room but he was never there. She knew why he was hiding but she couldn't tell Christie. While Hwoarang was trying to give Christie some advice for the fight (actually he was more interested in talking about his own skills than giving useful advice), Miharu and Xiaoyu had been keeping Julia informed about the tournament. She was surprised about the whole Nina/Steve/Lei thing, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know all the details. Michelle had warned her several times about the Williams sisters and having fought against Anna once, Julia knew that they were dangerous people.

Since she had spent the whole morning in bed, Julia decided to go with her friends and watch Christie's match. Wulong was late and he didn't give much of a fight.

Just like Paul and Marshall Law he was considered a veteran in the Iron Fist Tournament. His qualities and techniques were a legend among the other fighters but it seemed that he wasn't motivated enough to win. On the other hand Christie proved to be a hell of a fighter. She definitely deserved some credits. Capoeira sure was a "wave of fresh air" as far as martial arts techniques were concerned. It was different from all the others and Christie was a real expert. She was absolutely delighted about her victory. Not only she had managed to pass to the next round but she had also won against a powerful legend-fighter.

Of course that she was unaware that Lei didn't have a reason to stay in the tournament anymore since Nina had escaped and Steve was thinking about leaving too. The British young man was safe so Lei's mission was over.

A few minutes earlier Lei had finally convinced Steve to move on with his life and forget about Nina Williams. Well, he didn't know if he had actually succeeded but at least Steve wasn't thinking about following Nina anymore.

When Steve managed to reach Lei and Nina, the police officer had a gun pointed at her. Nina was unarmed but she was still as dangerous, even without a gun.

Though she had been ordered to kill him, Steve decided to help her and before Lei could arrest Nina, he allowed her to escape, leaving behind an unpredictable "thank you".

At first Lei was completely furious. Steve had probably cost him a raise and a medal. But since Nina was actually Steve's biological mother and the fact that, for the first time, she had ignored an order and haven't killed her target, made Lei believe that maybe it wasn't a mistake to let her go. Nevertheless he lectured Steve until they got the hotel.

-'The fact that she didn't kill you doesn't make her your mum, got it?'-Lei asked.

-'I know that…but it must mean something.'

-'Your reaction is understandable but she's still a killer…so next time don't interfere. If you do, I'll arrest you as well.'

-'Fine. I won't.'

-'Good. 'Cause you can get hurt…and it's not physically. I've known Nina for quite a while now and believe me, she's not the maternal type.'

Steve nodded. Even after Lei's words he couldn't stop feeling unbelievably happy about himself. To have heard a "thank you" from Nina was absolutely awesome, after all she was a ruthless murder and now, suddenly she had not only spared his life but also thanked him for helping her. Maybe one day they could speak about their situation although Steve knew they would never be a real family. In that matter, Lei was right.

Meanwhile, the next match was announced. Xiaoyu was going to fight against Yoshimitsu. To know that she would have to fight in the next morning was stressful but also exciting. So far Christie was the only girl left in the tournament and Xiaoyu wanted to join her in the next round. If only Yoshimitsu wasn't as strong as he looked…

For the rest of the night Miharu and Julia kept insisting that Xiaoyu had pretty good chances of winning her match. Miharu didn't know much about Yoshimitsu but she wanted to make sure Xiaoyu was mentally prepared to win.

-'You worked hard for this tournament Xiao. I know you'll win!'-Miharu insisted.

-'I think I should've train harder…Yoshimitsu has much more experience than me and he's really strong.'

-'Don't worry. We'll be there to cheer you up.'-Miharu reassured her.

Xiaoyu didn't want to verbalize her thoughts because she would sound really ungrateful, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking _"Big deal!"_. As if her friends' presence would make any difference.

The next morning Xiaoyu and Yoshimitsu arrived at the same time. Yoshimitsu was indeed scary but just like Julia had said, better a scary ninja dude than a psychotic cyborg such as Bryan. Julia had the displeasure of being Bryan's tag partner and things didn't work out very well.

During the fight Xiaoyu managed to block Yoshimitsu's attacks twice but even so she couldn't stop thinking that his techniques were quite amazing. Unfortunately she wasn't very familiar with Ninjutsu and after a while Yoshimitsu had a pretty good opportunity to take the lead but he didn't grab it. Fifteen minutes later it was still impossible to know who was going to win. For a few seconds Xiaoyu thought about the meaning of entering a martial arts' tournament. People enter those competitions mostly because they want to win and prove how strong they are. For some unknown reason Xiaoyu didn't feel that vibration from Yoshimitsu. It was almost as if he was there because he had nothing else to do. Was he going to let her win on purpose? The answer was yes. Yoshimitsu was there to face Heihachi Mishima but just like before, he had realised that the Mishima patriarch was planning something rather suspicious again and he wanted to know what it was. Yoshimitsu also knew that Xiaoyu and Jin Kazama were involved so he decided to stay alert even if that meant to lose a fight.

After that extraordinary victory, Xiaoyu became a star. The youngest fighter from the tournament had managed to defeat a veteran.

-'Do you have any idea how much money you cost me?'-Hwoarang asked when Xiaoyu was being helped by Julia and Miharu.

-'Can't you see she's hurt?'-Miharu inquired, slightly annoyed.

-'She was supposed to lose. I'm sure she cheated.'

-'Hey! I didn't cheat. I won fair and square asshole.'-Xiaoyu spat furiously.

-'As if a midget like you could win against a super ninja!? If you didn't cheat, he let you win on purpose.'

Xiaoyu tried to release herself from her friends' hands to hit the Korean but he dodged her fist.

-'Xiao might not be the strongest fighter but she trained hard and she deserved to win.'-Julia said, defending her friend who was now fuming.-'Please apologise.'

That request made Hwoarang's jaw drop. Apologise? Did he hear correctly? She wanted him to _apologise_?

-'Are you crazy?'-he asked.-'Why would I apologise?'

-'If you don't want to apologise then leave us alone.'

Julia and Miharu turned around and headed to the hotel, taking an injured Xiaoyu with them. People around weren't paying attention to the argument. Now that one more fighter had passed to the next round, everyone was expecting to know the next match.

-'Hey!'-Hwoarang yelled.-'I've always been like this…why the hell you think you can force me to apologise?'

-'Did I ever say I wanted you to change?'-Julia asked remaining calm.

-'I never apologise…besides what I said to Pigtails was true.'

Julia stopped and instructed her friends to continue without her. She was curious to know why Hwoarang was so angry about an apology request.

-'As a fighter you should know that we don't like to be told that we're weak.'-she started.

-'I didn't say she's weak.'

-'No, what you said was even worse. You practically told her she's not worth being here. She's so worthless that her opponents have pity on her and let her win.'

-'So what? She's just a kid!'

-'She has feelings…Anyway I asked you to apologise but I'm not expecting anything from you. And neither is she.'

-'Good. Because this argument is pathetic.'

-'It's your fault. You're the one all stressed up because of it.'

-'That's because you annoyed me.'

-'Why? No one ever asked you to apologise before?'

-'Don't start!'-Hwoarang didn't have many good memories about his childhood but he remembered that as a child he was always forced to apologise to other people, even when he'd done nothing wrong. It was always the poor kid's fault. That's why he had been forced to fend for himself; otherwise his life on the streets would have been unbearable.

-'Now you know how we feel every time you decide to annoy us.'


	12. Chapter 12

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 12_

Lee Chaolan believed only in the power of money. Living with Heihachi and a competitive foster brother had made him that way. He was extremely ambitious. It was that same characteristic that made Heihachi understand how dangerous Lee was. Heihachi wanted an heir not his own replica. That was why he sent Lee away as soon as he got rid of Kazuya. Lee understood that Heihachi had never intended to make him his heir. How could he inherit the Mishima Zaibatsu if Heihachi had never seen him as a real Mishima? It was obvious that Kazuya was the one Heihachi would chose, it was also obvious that he never meant to be a replacement only a teaser, a mere pawn. And so Lee ended up hating the family that had taken him in. He had a good education and was trained to be a good fighter, but he had never been a part of the family. It was only natural that he would use everything he had learned as a weapon against the Mishima. His goal was to show everyone he was better than Kazuya and to punish Heihachi for all the misery he had put him through during his childhood. Now it was payback time.

Coincidence or not, the next match would oppose Kazuya and Lee; old grudges were about to surface and blood would be shed.

Kazuya was supposed to be dead but a few months ago Lee had discovered that his foster brother was still alive and that G Corporation had been hiding him.

Destiny was giving him one more chance to face Kazuya. After that, he would definitely defeat Heihachi.

In the meantime the heat wave was affecting almost everyone on the island. Christie was used to it, actually in Brazil the temperatures were really high during the whole year. Julia was used to it too but she didn't like it much. That sunny afternoon was particularly hot. Xiaoyu and Miharu didn't even want to leave the hotel but they absolutely wanted to watch the fight between Kazuya and Lee Chaolan. Xiaoyu was curious about Jin's father and she wasn't the only one, everyone seemed to be quite interested in that match.

Paul was on the front row. It looked like he too held grudges against Kazuya Mishima. Julia and Xiaoyu were also there, trying to control a very disturbed Christie who wanted to talk to Kazuya before he entered the arena.

-'He won't talk to you, Christie.'-Julia said. Her voice tone sounded like a warning.

-'Why not? He has nothing to lose…It's not like I'm going to ask him money.'

-'I know but Kazuya is not a reasonable person.'

-'Listen to her…'-Xiaoyu pleaded.-'Jin told me his father can't be trusted and that he is…a bad person.'

-'I don't doubt you but if there's someone who might know where Eddy is I can't ignore it.'

In the end they managed to convince Christie to talk to Kazuya after the fight. When both fighters showed up no one cared about the heat or the incredibly annoying guy who was collecting autographs from the eliminated contestants.

-'Jin looks a lot like his father.'-Julia verbalized her friends' thoughts.

-'He is scary.'-Xiaoyu whispered. Miharu agreed. Kazuya Mishima was an older version of Jin, only more serious and frightening.

-'So…he's the devil?'-Hwoarang asked approaching the girls while they were watching the brothers fighting.

Julia stepped on his foot to remind him that Christie and Steve were there too.

-'That hurts…'-he complained, but eventually he got the message.-'He looks quite human to me…'-Hwoarang whispered.

-'Don't let him fool you…he's not human anymore.'-Julia said.-'The other guy doesn't have a chance.'

Indeed Chaolan was once again completely humiliated by Kazuya. At first it seemed that they were at the same level but soon Kazuya showed his superiority. The fight lasted ten minutes and twenty seconds. Lee gave his best but he knew that his foster brother was incredibly strong. In the end he couldn't handle Kazuya's extraordinary strength. Even his most powerful kicks were useless. After being announced the winner Kazuya approached Lee with a grin on his face.

Lee clenched his fists remembering how much he hated that grin.

-'If you're not working with Heihachi, I suggest you get the hell out of my sight.'-Kazuya warned.

-'Why are you letting me go? Last time you said you'd kill me.'

-'It's your brother's wish. He wants to spare your life. Besides you don't have any use to me.'

-'You'll regret it.'

-'I'll be waiting for that day, little brother.'

Julia, Xiaoyu and Miharu were surprised to hear Kazuya calling Lee _little brother_. They certainly didn't look like each other.

-'Lee's adopted.'-Paul explained.-'The Mishima family has many secrets.'

-'They barely spoke to each other.'-Xiaoyu noticed.-'Is that normal? Even if Mr. Chaolan is adopted, they're still brothers; they must share a few childhood memories.'

-'Not everyone had a happy childhood.'-Hwoarang said before leaving.

By that time Kazuya had already disappeared and Christie was releasing her fury on Julia.

-'You said I would be able to speak to him after the fight and now he's gone!'

-'He's not going to leave the tournament.'

-'But he's never around. It looks like you don't want me to talk to Kazuya nor Jin.'

-'What would you say? I mean if you spoke to Kazuya… "Hi…Did you kill Eddy? Do you know where he is?". Kazuya will never speak to you. He won't let you get in his way…he will kill you if he has to.'-Julia's words had finally reached through her. Christie didn't know why Julia was being so pushy, but there was something in her voice that made Christie believe she wasn't joking.

-'You know something, don't you?'-the Brazilian girl asked.-'About the Mishima family…'

-'All I know is that they're dangerous…including Jin…'

-'Why are they so dangerous?'

-'I can't tell you that. I promised someone I wouldn't talk about it.'

-'I could see that Kazuya Mishima isn't a normal guy…I could feel the hate between him and Lee Chaolan. But I still want to find Eddy.'

-'I know… But I'm trying to help you…'

Christie didn't reply. In that moment it was hard for her to formulate a clear thought about things and that's why she decided to leave.

Eddy had entered the Iron Fist Tournament 3 to punish the man he thought had killed his father. But it looked like he hadn't succeeded and now he was missing. The Mishima family was involved. Kazuya was for sure but she didn't know about Heihachi and Jin Kazama. Maybe Julia and Xiaoyu were involved too. Maybe they were spying on her and reporting back to them.

Christie was quite confused but one thing she knew for sure, from now on she was going to investigate on her own. She couldn't rely on strangers and she couldn't trust anyone. For Eddy's sake she was going to focus and act alone.

Lee was also thinking about acting alone. In that endless game he knew he was only a side player but there was no way he was going to let Kazuya take over the Mishima Zaibatsu again. The first time it happened, Lee had joined his brother and had deeply regretted it because he never had a solid position inside the company. Actually he was merely seen as his brother's secretary. At that time Lee decided to pick Kazuya's side because Heihachi was said to be dead and he also thought that one day he could defeat Kazuya once and for all and take his place. Things didn't go according to his plan because Heihachi was still alive and took over Kazuya's place right after the Iron Fist Tournament 2. Lee lost everything that day. His position in the Mishima Zaibatsu, his role as Heihachi's foster son and the chance to be his rightful heir. Although Kazuya was dead, Heihachi refused to accept Lee as his heir and punished him because he had been working with Kazuya all along.

Blinded by vengeance, Lee planned to kill Heihachi more than once, but never succeeded and then, many years after he was banned from the Mishima family he discovered that his foster father had a new heir. A kid, Kazuya's kid to be more precise. Even dead, Kazuya had managed to destroy all his possibilities of controlling the Mishima Zaibatsu. After that Lee gave up and bought a mansion in the Bahamas.

But now things were different. Kazuya was alive and Lee knew his brother was planning something. He probably wanted to take over the Mishima Zaibatsu and kill Heihachi. Killing Heihachi was actually vital in order to control the Zaibatsu. But this time Lee didn't want to pick a side. Enough with that…He didn't want to be a side player he wanted to be the main character. Was that too much to ask? After all those years suffering countless humiliations he sure deserved one more chance.

This time Lee had a plan. Instead of taking immediate action he would wait patiently. It was just a matter of time until Kazuya and Heihachi had to face each other. One of them would fall and the other would be weakened. Then he would take that chance. As for Jin…he was just a kid and it looked like the boy didn't want to be the Mishima's heir. That was the cherry at the top of the cake.

Meanwhile Jin was staring the stars thinking about what to do next now that he had taken care of his problem. He was supposed to face Bryan Fury that night. It wouldn't be too hard to win but since the Devil was after him, Jin couldn't risk being caught in the arena. So his only chance was to make sure Bryan would never show up. To ask a psychotic cyborg to quit a match was a stupid thing to do so Jin had to take the issue to the next level. Therefore sooner or later, someone would find an unconscious Bryan in his hotel room.

By that time Jin had already been announced as the winner of the match. He didn't stay in the arena more than ten seconds.

It wasn't easy for Xiaoyu to see that Jin was so distant from her. She barely saw his face. Julia tried to explain that he hadn't watched Kazuya and Lee's match because he knew the Devil would feel him. He had to take precautions if he wanted to stay alive. Julia's words were no consolation though. Actually Xiaoyu was even more worried about Jin. What if Kazuya caught him and she could never see him again?

The morale was really low when the fighters started to leave to have some sleep. Next morning a new match would be announced but the events of that night would quickly overtake most of them.

After a failed attempt to get Hwoarang drunk again to tell more secrets about Jin and the Mishima family, Christie had to call it a night. He was getting suspicious and she was tired.

When Christie finally left, Hwoarang watched Xiaoyu and Miharu going to the elevator. He thought about following them to annoy the girls but it wasn't funny without Julia. He scanned the hotel lobby but she wasn't there.

A few minutes later he decided to return to his room but he noticed a hooded guy entering the hotel. Julia followed him and they took the stairs. Hwoarang knew it was Jin but when he got to the stairs both Jin and Julia were gone.

In the meantime Jin was now in Xiaoyu's room. He decided to take Julia's advice and talk to Xiaoyu one last time. She was surprised when she opened the door.

-'I don't know who's going to be my next opponent…but if it's Kazuya I'm probably dead.'-he said trying not to look into her eyes.

-'You said that you might win against him…'

-'I'm not so sure anymore.'

-'Why?'

-'I've been thinking…what if this is my destiny?'

-'To be killed by your father? No…I don't think so Jin…you're better than that.'

-'I spent fifteen years with my mother. She never talked about my father…she knew what he was and she knew what he'd do to me.'

-'She was trying to protect you, but that doesn't mean your destiny is to die.'

-'She was much better than me and she died. She was caring and friendly and I learned everything I know from her. When she died…a part of me died too.'

Xiaoyu was silent. She didn't know what to say. It was obvious that Jin loved his mother and his life had changed considerably after her death. Forced to live with someone he didn't know had made Jin a quiet and introverted person. Xiaoyu knew that he had tried to fit in but in the end he couldn't.

-'I'm sorry…'-the Chinese girl said, almost in tears.

-'Living with the enemy is harder than I thought…'

-'You need to forget about Heihachi…he's not your enemy anymore…'

-'I wasn't talking about him, I was talking about me…the devil inside of me.'

-'You keep telling that you're evil but so far all you've done nothing wrong.'

-'But I think about doing things…horrible things…'

-'Why?'

-'I don't know…there are images in my head…about people dying. I can't stand it anymore.'

-'Jin, you need to be strong. You need to focus…'

-'I can't Xiao…But I need you to be strong for me.'

-'What do you mean?'

-'If Kazuya kills me and takes my powers I need you to promise that you won't try anything to avenge me.'

-'What?'

-'And you won't let Julia continue this nonsense about fighting the Devil and unveiling the Mishima's secrets…ok? Just live your life and try to be happy…'

-'I can't do that.'

-'I don't want you to die because of me. I want to leave this room tonight knowing that you'll build an amusement park and that you'll be happy in the future.'

-'It's not that I can't promise you…I just won't be able to be happy without you.'

Those words had a strange impact on Jin because his life had never been important to anyone, expect to his mother.

Xiaoyu knew that this time Jin was saying goodbye for good and as an uneasy feeling of near panic was setting inside her heart, she approached him and they kissed.

A few seconds later Jin left in silence leaving behind a tearful Xiaoyu with the promise that no matter what he would treasure that kiss forever.


	13. Chapter 13

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 13_

Hwoarang woke up suddenly. He heard steps on the hallway and looked at his watch. _It's 2:00 am! Who the hell is up at this hour? Probably blondie paying a visit to a girl._

For some reason that thought disturbed him a little. _It can't be Pigtails because she has a thing for Kazama…go figure. Pigtails' clone is way too hostile…no guy can put up with her. The Brazilian girl is too focused on that Eddy guy…so blondie is probably after…Chang. Damn it._

Hwoarang got up and opened his door just in time to see Jin disappearing in the elevator. He decided to follow him because he was acting suspicious. When he passed by Xiaoyu's room he heard her crying. So Romeo had finally spent the night with his Juliet. It looked like things didn't go well though. For a moment Hwoarang thought about going back to bed. He had nothing to do with Xiaoyu and Jin's problems but curiosity won and he continued following the Japanese young man. By that time Jin had already noticed he was being followed.

When Hwoarang got to the basement (which was used as a parking lot) the light wasn't enough to see where Jin was but he finally showed up behind the Korean.

-'You're finally here.'-Hwoarang said turning around to face his rival.

-'So, what do you want? Why are you following me?'

-'I can do whatever I want.'

Jin shrugged. In his opinion Hwoarang was a jerk and he would never change. It was also hard to know that in his absence, Xiaoyu could even fall in love with the red-haired Korean because now they seemed to be friends. Jin tried to put that thought away but it was almost impossible.

-'Just leave me alone…'-Jin said.

-'I don't think so. I don't know about you but I want a rematch.'

-'The second round starts tomorrow.'

-'What if I never get to fight you at the tournament?'

-'That's your problem. It means you're not that good.'

-'Fine. I'll take you on right here right now!'

-'There's no reason to fight.'

-'You don't have one? Well I do!'

Jin was trying his best to avoid a direct confrontation with the red-haired Korean, especially at 2:00 am. He wanted to have some rest and think about his own problems.

-'Usually I only attack when I'm provoked but for some reason you always succeed in pissing me off.'-Jin confessed.-'I can't get rid of you. Maybe I should teach you a lesson.'

Hwoarang prepared himself for battle. It seemed that Jin had finally accepted the challenge. They could both be disqualified for fighting outside the arena but it didn't matter anymore.

Jin realised Hwoarang was faster than before. He had certainly practiced hard. He also had new moves and could easily block some of Jin's attacks.

On the other hand more speed didn't necessarily mean more strength. Jin also knew that if he used his evil powers Hwoarang would probably end up dead, and that's why he was trying to control it.

Hwoarang had been hit twice by Jin's powerful fists. The second time he felt some blood droppings on his shirt. His left eyebrow was bleeding but it wasn't serious. Jin was as strong as he could remember, maybe even stronger.

-'You've been busy…'-Hwoarang said.-'Why do you bother when you have that evil super strength?'

-'I can't depend on it. I don't want to be like him…'

Hwoarang knew he was talking about his father. For a moment he almost felt sorry for Jin.

A half an hour later Jin and Hwoarang were tired, sweaty and bloody. It was hard to breathe and they were feeling pain all over their bodies. But none of them wanted to quit.

They were so focused on the fight that they didn't notice a group of soldiers getting closer.

-'Sergeant! Desertion is an offence punishable by Court Martial. Give yourself up soldier!'-the voice of Lieutenant Park Sung Min echoed through the whole parking lot and interrupted Hwoarang and Jin's fight.

Six other soldiers had their guns pointed at them but before the red-haired Korean could say a word Jin disarmed two men and Hwoarang did the same to three more.

-'Fire!'-Park Sung Min ordered to the rest of his men.

Hwoarang and Jin had to hide behind a car to avoid being shot.

-'Kazama, remember I kicked your ass back there. Are you listening?'

Jin nodded.

-'I'll give you the chance to even the scores in the next tournament. You better show up.'

Seeing an opportunity to escape they didn't waste it and Lieutenant Park Sung Min was absolutely furious when he realised Hwoarang was gone. He gave orders to search him all over the hotel, ignoring the fact that Hwoarang was still hiding behind a SUV.

In the meantime Julia was having a really nice dream. She was in Arizona watching the desert area turning into a beautiful forest. It was all thanks to the data she had managed to retrieve from Heihachi. Suddenly her cell phone started ringing and Julia woke up. Since it was almost 3:00 am she thought something had happened to Michelle. With her heart pounding Julia answered the call and was shocked to hear Hwoarang's voice on the other side.

-'I need you…'-he started.

-'How did you get this number? Do you know what time it is?'-she almost yelled.

-'Look…I want you…'

-'Don't you have anything else to do? You don't need me and you don't want me, ok? And I certainly don't need you to call me at this hour…I'm tired of your stupid jokes.'

-'Will you let me finish a sentence??? I _need_ your help.'

That got Julia's attention. Now that she was in silence, Hwoarang could allow himself to make a few less appropriate comments.

-'I need your assistance…can you go to my room…preferably naked, and…'

-'Jerk.'

-'I was kidding…don't hang up. I'm in serious troubles. Go to my room and bring me my bag. I'm waiting in the sub-level…I mean the basement where the cars are.'

-'Why would I help you?'

-'You owe me, remember? I helped you in the Tag Tournament.'

-'So if I help you this time we're even, right?'

-'Yes…'

-'I won't have to keep my promise, is that it?'

-'YES. Now hurry up.'

Julia put on her jacket and left her room but then she realised she didn't have Hwoarang's room key. She went to the reception and asked for the supply key.

-'Room 102…That's Mr. Hwoarang's room…'-the receptionist said.

-'I know that.'

-'Ohhhh…well Miss…you better keep the noise down, otherwise you'll disturb the other fighters.'

Julia blushed and cursed her luck. That stupid asshole was always getting her into trouble.

Ten minutes later Julia met Hwoarang. By now she knew something was going on because the Hotel was being searched. She gave him his bag and prepared herself to leave but he grabbed her arm.

-'I still need your help.'

-'Why? What for? What have you done this time?'

-'Nothing…'

-'There are soldiers all over the Hotel. Don't give me that crap.'

-'Fine…they're looking for me. I need to leave this island right now and I need your help.'

-'I can't…the only way out of here is in an airplane and I don't know how to fly one.'

-'This is an island…isn't there a harbour around here…and a boat…something like that?'

-'There's one a few miles from here…but it's too far to walk.'

-'We'll drive.'

-'I'm not going to steal a car!'

-'No, you're not…but I am. And I'm not stealing…I'm just borrowing it.'

That said, Hwoarang used his room key to open the black SUV and forced Julia to get in.

-'You drive.'-he said to her.

-'What?'

-'I'm tired.'-he didn't want to tell her that he had a fight with Jin earlier.

They left quietly and undetected.

-'After this we're even.'-Julia insisted.-'There's no way I'm going to do what you want for 24 hours.'

That was the promise she had made. During the Tag Tournament Julia decided to investigate Heihachi's activities because he was acting weird. After finding out that the Tag Tournament wasn't even official, she had been caught by the tekken forces but Hwoarang helped her to escape. As a reward he asked her to be his servant for 24 hours. Stupidly she accepted.

-'Fine…you lose. We could've done awesome things together.'

Julia sighed. He was helpless. Always joking around, always getting into troubles, always being a jackass.

-'Why are those soldiers trying to find you?'

-'Who knows…I think it's my pretty face…'

-'If you don't tell me I'm going back to the Hotel.'

-'I left the Army to come to the tournament…it's no big deal.'

-'That's desertion! You're going to face Court Martial and you'll definitely have to serve some time in jail. You're an idiot.'

-'Hey…I had to come…it was my only chance to fight with Kazama.'

-'It's just a fight. How can you jeopardise your future for that?'

-'I don't give a crap about the future. All I care is the present.'

-'You should think before you act. Look at all the mess you caused. I can end up in jail because of you.'

-'Don't worry…you won't go to jail.'-he said and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

-'Are you really going to sleep in a time like this?'

-'If I open my eyes the only thing I'll be looking at is you in that really short nightdress…'

-'Then I guess you should sleep.'

Fifteen minutes later Julia stopped the car under a tree. It was dark and a few steps away she could see the ocean reflecting the moonlight.

-'Where are we?'-Hwoarang asked opening his eyes.

-'There's the harbour…'-Julia said pointing.-'You'll be lucky to find a boat…'

-'Finally.'

-'Do you realise it's the second time I'm in a stolen car with you?'

-'The first time I was the one helping you, so don't start!'

-'I'm just saying…'

Hwoarang got out of the car and Julia followed him. Fortunately there were two boats and one had a motor.

-'I'm saved…'-he said.

-'So…what are you going to do now? It's dark…you won't be able to set sail…'

-'I served in the Army you know?'

-'Are you sure you know what you're doing?'

-'Most of my missions were at night…but thanks for your concern.'

-'I'm not worried.'

-'Yes, you are.'

-'No, I'm not.'

-'I have an idea…maybe we could sail together. We could go to the States and surprise your mother.'

-'Keep dreaming…'

For a few seconds they remained in silence. During that time Hwoarang took notice of how beautiful she was under the moonlight. She was wearing her nightdress, a jacket and tennis shoes. Her hair was loose and she had forgotten to wear her glasses. Julia wasn't paying much attention while he was checking her out because she had just realised he was bleeding. Without thinking she tried to touch his face but he pulled back.

-'You're bleeding…Can I take a look?'-she asked.

-'It's just a small cut.'-he said turning his head the other way.

-'Don't be such a baby.'

-'I said it's just a scratch…'

Julia approached him and in that instant he turned around to persuade her to leave him alone. None of them was aware of how close they were and when they did, it was too late, they were already kissing.

Instead of pushing him away Julia stood still and Hwoarang didn't complain, on the contrary, if she was enjoying the moment he would turn that kiss into something she wouldn't forget. Sadly the noise of two or three cars heading their way broke the magic.

-'Go to the car. Don't let them see you…'-Hwoarang ordered.

Speechless Julia watched him jump to the boat and leave. She didn't even have the chance to say goodbye.

In the next ten minutes Julia remained inside the black SUV, watching Lieutenant Park Sung Min unleash his frustration on his men. It was obvious he was more than upset. If she wasn't stunned by the kiss, Julia would've understood all the offensive names Hwoarang was being called.

-'I hate that kid. When I put my hands on him…He'll be dead!'-the Lieutenant said before returning to his vehicle.-'Call the Japanese authorities in Kyushu. Tell them to capture all the boats arriving.'-he ordered.

Julia waited a few more minutes before heading back to the Hotel. Everything was calmer and she went straight to her room. Before going to bed, Julia tossed away a few pillows and clothes to the floor. The warm feeling that Hwoarang's kiss had left in her was gone. Now she was even more frustrated than Lieutenant Park Sung Min.

_I can't believe I kiss__ed him…_


	14. Chapter 14

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 14_

In the next morning, Julia met Xiaoyu and Miharu in the lobby waiting for her. Last night seemed as insubstantial as a dream. She thought about telling them about it but in the end she didn't have the courage to do so. Xiaoyu would get super excited and she would probably say something like _"You're so cute together. I always knew you liked him. That is sooooo romantic."_ Miharu, on the other hand would feel completely frustrated and would probably explode in fury _"You traitor! After all you said about him you actually have the nerve to say you kissed him!? You should be ashamed of yourself."_

Julia didn't want to be lectured by her friends, so she decided to keep quiet about it. Anyway she wasn't lying to them she was just hiding some facts.

-'What took so long?'-Xiaoyu asked.-'Jin and Hwoarang are going to face each other in ten minutes.'

-'Are you sure?'-Julia asked surprised.

-'Yes.'-Miharu confirmed.

-'They're finally going to have a rematch. I hope Jin wins.'

Julia didn't comment. She too thought that Hwoarang was being childish and immature wanting a rematch due to a previous draw. She used to be on Jin's side. But since last night she didn't have the same opinion about the Korean anymore and she was starting to hate herself for that.

Minutes later, and just as Julia had predicted, Jin was announced as the winner of that match because Hwoarang was missing.

The crowd was disappointed. Everyone knew about Hwoarang and Jin's rivalry and people had already placed a few bets (everyone had chosen Jin as the winner).

Before Jin could leave the arena Julia noticed some bruises on his face and recalled Hwoarang's bleeding eyebrow. She didn't have to be a genius to understand what had happened.

-'What happened with that asshole?'-Miharu inquired.-'I never thought we would miss a fight against Jin.'

-'He probably realised that Jin's too strong.'-Xiaoyu suggested watching Jin leave.

Since last night Xiaoyu had decided that she wouldn't cry anymore. Crying was not only a sign of weakness and sadness, but also meant losing all hope. She couldn't allow herself to lose hope because she still wanted to be with Jin someday. She would fight for him, for his soul to be saved, for his heart to be cured and for his life to be spared.

Since the first match didn't even take place, the juries decided to announce the second match immediately. Heihachi and Christie were next. They entered the arena quietly but soon the enthusiasm was contagious. Although the newcomer Christie was giving the crowd a great show no one doubted for once that Heihachi would be the winner. Julia was even starting to feel envious, after all Christie was fighting for almost fifteen minutes against the same man who had defeated her in less then ten minutes. As time passed by it was clear that Christie was getting tired and Heihachi was taking advantage of that fact. He had managed to hit her three times with powerful punches and Christie was sure that one of her ribs was broken (maybe even more). She was giving her best. Among the crowd, a man knew she was about to be defeated. He knew Christie since she was born, he had trained her to be a great Capoeira fighter and she hadn't disappointed him. He knew her qualities and her flaws. Christie was too busy to notice that she was being watched by the same man she was trying to find.

When the fight was finally over and Christie was rising from the ground, Eddy approached the arena. The Brazilian young woman was going to ask Heihachi the whereabouts of Kazuya, when she spotted Eddy. At first she thought he was just an illusion. She was tired and her eyes were probably playing a trick on her. But she kept on staring at him and he didn't disappear. He was real. Eddy was alive.

Gathering the last of her strength, Christie got up and run straight into his arms. Even with a broken arm, Eddy returned the gesture. The crowd cheered and Christie almost felt as if she had won the tournament, when actually she had lost that fight.

An hour later Julia, Xiaoyu and Miharu were watching Eddy and Christie leave. They were going back to Brazil, to see Christie's sick grandfather who was also Eddy's mentor. After the medical check up, Christie had a very long conversation with Eddy. It seemed obvious that he had told her about what happened to him after the Iron Fist Tournament 3 and his quest for Kazuya and the ones responsible for his father's death. Christie understood why Eddy hadn't contacted her because he was scared to put her life in real danger. Julia and Xiaoyu were right about Kazuya after all, he was a dangerous person.

Now that she had found Eddy, Christie could finally allow herself to smile and she happily waved goodbye to her new friends. She also promised to return for the next Tournament wishing Xiaoyu good luck on her next match.

Ling Xiaoyu believed in fate. Just like she believed that Jin's destiny wasn't to die at the hands of his own father, she also believed she could win her match against Steve.

Julia had explained her almost every boxing technique she knew since Steve hadn't fought and no one knew what he was capable of. Yet there wasn't any guarantee that Xiaoyu would win. She had a good feeling about that fight but Miharu and Julia were skeptical. As expected, Jin and Heihachi were both qualified for the next round and Xiaoyu wanted to prove she was as strong as they were.

-'Heihachi has years of experience.'-Miharu said.-'He's going to win…again…'

-'Don't be so sure.'-Julia contradicted.-'Since the third tournament Jin has improved a lot and we've seen him defeat Heihachi once.'

-'We can't forget about Kazuya either. He has half of the Devil's powers which means he can win too.'-Xiaoyu added.

Julia looked worried with that possibility. Michelle had told her about the Devil's powers and she was afraid that if Kazuya won the tournament, he would certainly rule the world after killing Jin.

-'I just want this to be over.'-Miharu said.

-'We should've asked for Heihachi's help. After all Kazuya's also his enemy.'-Xiaoyu declared.

-'We can't.'-Julia disapproved.-'Heihachi wants the devil gene. He wants both Kazuya and Jin dead.'

-'Everything will be just fine.'-Xiaoyu assured.-'I have a good feeling…'

She was right. At least about her match. Steve ended up quitting after a few minutes. Unlike Hwoarang he complimented Xiaoyu for her amazing fighting skills (in his opinion she was super fast and amazingly strong for someone of that age) and explained that he didn't want to fight anymore because he was thinking about returning to professional boxing after the Tournament. He didn't want to get injured and Xiaoyu was a powerful opponent.

An hour later the small hotel bar was crowded. Kazuya had defeated King in forty-five seconds…it was a record time. He didn't stay to celebrate, instead he entered the woods, searching or maybe hunting for something or someone. Xiaoyu knew he was after Jin and in that moment she wished she could be with him again.

-'He's not going to find him…Jin can feel his aura…'-Julia whispered. Xiaoyu calmed down and forced herself to think positively. Jin was smart and he was strong. He wouldn't be caught that easily. But what would he do the next day? There were only four contestants and he could end up fighting against either Heihachi or Kazuya. Whoever his opponent was, Jin would have to show up in the arena.

Next day Xiaoyu woke up early in the morning. She went downstairs alone because Miharu and Julia were still sleeping.

_Miharu wants to leave and Julia lost her interest in the tournament too…maybe I should quit. __Anyways I don't have a chance with none of the remaining fighters. Kazuya and Heihachi are way too strong and Jin…although he cares about me, he won't quit like Steve did. If I fight I'll end up embarrassing myself because I'm not that good._ Xiaoyu was trying to decide what to do. She decided to make a decision as soon as she knew who her opponent was.

-'You're quite though for a girl, you know?'-Xiaoyu recognised the British accent immediately. Steve Fox joined her for breakfast.

-'You didn't quit to impress me, did you?'-she asked.

-'Were you impressed?'

-'I don't know…no one ever did that for me.'

-'Would you quit for someone else?'

-'I already did that…in the Iron Fist 3.'

-'Was it worth it?'

-'Yes, it was…'

-'Why did you quit?'

-'Because even if I didn't, I would lose.'

-'The same goes for me.'

-'I don't believe you…you're just being nice.'

-'The truth is you wanted to win more than I did. Plus I couldn't risk getting hurt right now.'

-'Are you leaving?'-Xiaoyu asked, noticing a bag on the floor.

-'Yes. I hope you don't quit though…'

-'Why?'

-'It would be nice if a girl won the tournament.'

Xiaoyu smiled.

-'Good luck…I'm sure you're able to win against Kazama.'

-'Against Jin? Is he my opponent?'

Steve pointed up to a TV set on the wall and Xiaoyu saw her name and Jin's appear in bright red. It was settled then, she was going to quit...again.

Xiaoyu waved Steve goodbye and went straight to Heihachi's room.

An hour later Jin was expecting her in the battle arena. Julia and Miharu were on the front row and were starting to get worried by Xiaoyu's delay. It wasn't like her.

-'I heard her talking with Fox about quitting…'-Paul said.

-'Do you think she left the tournament?'-Julia asked Miharu who shrugged.-'She did quit for Jin in the Iron Fist Tournament 3…so maybe she did it again.'

-'But she should be here, right? She wouldn't quit without seeing Jin again, would she? And why didn't she tell us?'-Miharu complained.

-'We better go check her room…'-Julia suggested. Sensing that Kazuya wasn't around, Jin offered to go too. Xiaoyu had been disqualified already and he was worried about her. Miharu didn't like the idea but she didn't say a word. After realising that Xiaoyu hadn't left the Hotel, Jin understood. Someone had taken her. Without a warning he left running.

-'What's wrong with him?'-Miharu questioned.

-'I think he went to get Xiao back. I hope she's alright.'

That was the last time Miharu and Julia saw Jin. They didn't know that this was the beginning of a new urge for the changes which were to come, for better or for worse, they were unstoppable.

In the woods, a man dressed in a Tekken force uniform approached Kazuya Mishima from behind. He was trembling and sweating. Kazuya knew who he was but he ignored why he was there.

The man walked quietly, thinking that Kazuya was still unaware of his presence. He took out his rifle and cursed his Boss for giving him that cruel mission. He was there to give Kazuya Mishima a special message.

Before the man could get any closer, Kazuya turned around and faced him. _He is just a little boy_, Kazuya thought, _a very stupid and scared little boy_.

-'What do you want, you moron?'-he asked violently. He didn't get an answer. It looked like the guy couldn't even speak.

-'What are you so afraid of?'-Kazuya teased.-'Do I look like a monster?'

-'I…I'm here…'

-'My father sent you to kill me, wasn't it? That deluded old fool…does he really think I'm that weak?'

-'No…It's not that…'

-'Then what is it?'

-'A message…he wants me to give you this.'-the young man took a piece of paper from is pocket and threw it to Kazuya.

"_I have your son. If you want to see him alive meet me on the top of the mountain."_

A grin appeared in Kazuya's face. He approached the paralysed man and put the note back in his pocket. Then he grabbed his neck and twisted it. With no remorse, Kazuya left the dead body behind and started to walk through the woods, up the hill.

-'I'll soon meet you in Honmaru father…and then you and that bastard son of mine will die.'


	15. Chapter 15

**Destiny Changed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

To all the Tekken Fans

_Chapter 15_

Behind the huge brown gate was a path leading to Kazuya's greatest desire. He had reached Honmaru in forty minutes. As he followed the path Kazuya allowed himself to remember his childhood. He had been there several times with his grandfather. That place was the old man's refuge: the sanctuary for the strong and powerful Mishima warriors, as he called it.

Heihachi was expecting Kazuya. The last time Kazuya had met his father he ended up being thrown into the mouth of a volcano and now they were once again reunited.

Heihachi opened the door and they both entered a room. The wooden floor was extremely cleaned but apart from that there wasn't much to notice. Except for Jin, who was chained to the wall and seemed to be unconscious.

-'You led me to him…thank you old man.'-Kazuya said with a mischievous grin.

-'I didn't do it for you…'-Heihachi spat.-'Your powers have to be mine.'

Kazuya laughed when he heard his father's words. _So the deluded old man wants to possess the devil's powers…how ironic. _Kazuya thought.

-'It was you who made me this way and allowed me to have these powers…'-Kazuya's voice was now echoing in the room.-'If you hadn't thrown me into that cliff and later into the volcano, I wouldn't have trade my soul…'

-'Stop winning about that Kazuya. We both know you don't deserve those powers. Neither does Jin.'

-'We agree on that for once…this kid was the biggest mistake of my life. That Kazama whore almost destroyed my plans. I scored in one shot…how ridiculous is that?'

-'Now it's too late to be sorry, Kazuya. Your boy is all grown up.'

Kazuya was silent for a couple of minutes. Heihachi thought he was thinking about a proper verbal retaliation, but actually Kazuya was just preparing himself for action.

-'Whatever…let me see how to start…oh yeah first I need to get rid of the witness.'-that said, Kazuya attacked Heihachi making him fly across the room. When he hit the floor Kazuya waited to see if he was unconscious and since the old man wasn't moving, he proceeded with his plan.

In the meantime Jin woke up. He had no idea what had happened. He remembered entering Heihachi's room to find Xiaoyu but then everything went black. Someone drugged him and now he was chained and unable to defend himself.

-'Finally…you're awake.'-Kazuya said.

-'You?'

Jin had never been face to face with his father. He couldn't even describe his own feelings. The man standing in front of him was responsible for every horrible thing that had happened in his life, but he had also been loved by his innocent mother. How could Jun love a man who had trade his soul for power? Jin wanted to make Kazuya pay for all the pain he had inflicted on him and Jun but deep inside he secretly wished Kazuya could get rid of the devil gene so they could, at least see each other as father and son.

It had been difficult to live without a father figure. For fifteen years all Jin knew about his father was that he was a great fighter. Jun always spoke of Kazuya as if he was a good person. She told Jin that his father would return one day and that he didn't live with them because he couldn't. She hadn't lied.

Then Jun died and young Jin had to live under Heihachi's wing. It was even harder. His grandfather was cold, ambitious and had no interest in having a grandson. Since he arrived in the Mishima mansion, Jin always felt as a rock in someone's shoe but he actually had no idea the nightmare it was yet to come.

Just when he thought his life would change for the better, he found out the truth. And the truth sucked. As half-demon, Jin knew he would never have a normal life like everybody else. And now his father was back to kill him and to unleash chaos on earth.

Jin took a good look of the man on the floor. They looked alike…physically. They were both tall and had black and spiky hair. Kazuya was also thinking about their similarities.

-'You know I'm here to kill you, right?'

-'Yes.'-Jin answered. He didn't hesitate which amused Kazuya very much.

-'We have a brave one here.'-he said laughing.-'Don't you fear death?'

-'Why would I? You faced death and came back…'

Kazuya laughed again.

-'Oh my…you sure have a weird sense of humour…or you're just plain stupid 'cause you're not going to come back after I finish you off.'

-'My mother didn't fear death…and neither do I.'

The mention of Jun didn't please Kazuya but he remained calm.

-'She was an idiot. She thought her love could save me…as a result she got stuck with you.'-Kazuya thought out loud.

Jin was trying to free himself from the chains around his wrists while Kazuya kept on cursing Jun for her pregnancy and her attempts to get him weaker.

-'It's time to reunite my powers…After today I will be whole again.'

Kazuya raised his hand in Jin's direction and suddenly black marks appeared in the young man's chest and forehead. Jin's eyes became red and he felt an evil energy consuming his body.

-'Stop fighting against it. This is your destiny…'-Kazuya declared.

Jin felt a scrutinising pain while a dangerous beast was stirring his heart. He was sure that he was about to die. For a few moments he thought about his life and realised that he hadn't done much. He felt bad for Xiaoyu. He should've told her about his true feelings, he should've spent more time alone with her, and he should've said those three little words that the male character, in a film, says before he kisses the girl he likes. There was no time now. It was now clear that his destiny was to die by his father's hands. Giving in to the pain, Jin closed his eyes and waited but the tunnel and the light never came.

When he opened his eyes he saw Kazuya kneeling on the floor. He seemed to be in pain.

-'Is this the power of the Kazama blood? No…it can't be. It's Kazuya…I can't believe he's trying to stop me!'-he muttered.

Jin seized that opportunity to free himself. Kazuya, aware of the danger, jumped back and prepared to fight.

-'If only you were dead.'-Jin said. His eyes were now glowing as if he had two precious rubies instead of his brown eyes. Kazuya knew what would follow next. Two men possessing the devil gene would have to fight. Total destruction was now impossible to avoid.

And so it started. Father and son engaged in a monstrous fight for the survival of the fittest.

_I thought I was dying but fighting against Kazuya makes me feel so alive. I will embrace this evil power within me and use it. Maybe one day I'll be able to control it. This is too good to waste. This power makes me feel unstoppable and I can feel Kazuya's fear every time I throw a punch at him. He's afraid that I can become much stronger than him. He doesn't know that I'm not using even half of my powers. So now the hunter becomes the prey…my destiny belongs to me and I won't die here, I will get my revenge._Jin's thoughts were now clearer and he had decided to accept his true nature. He wasn't a human but he refused to believe he was a monster. In fact he was something in between. From now on he would live his life for himself and would fight against the rest of the world. He was going to reinvent himself, forgetting about his old life, his old self. Jin Kazama was dead.

_He's better than I thought, but then again he is Kazuya's son…actually he is our son…mine and Kazuya's. He has his looks and my strength. That stupid bitch raised him to be my opponent and I have to admit she did a good job. He mastered the Kazama fighting style and Heihachi also taught him the Mishima Karate. And yet he was able to forge a new fighting style. With my powers he will sure surpass me and I can't let that happen. As much as Kazuya wants me to spare his life, Jin Kazama has to die. I can't let Jun's child to control the devil gene, otherwise I might be eliminated by him. _The devil inside Kazuya's body was absolutely convinced that Jin was an imminent danger to his existence. He didn't mind having some competition but he didn't like it when his opponent was a fierce fighter with loads of potential and half of his devil powers.

Jin and Kazuya's fight was violent, bloody and when both men were at the limit of their strength, Jin managed to obtain victory. Kazuya was on the ground unconscious. His blood was all over the floor. Jin felt good and relieved. He had defeated his father. The devil inside of him was claiming for Kazuya's life, but Jin didn't want to kill Kazuya or to take his father's powers. He believed that he had already enough power to conquer whatever he liked. The Devil didn't have to be reunited besides he wanted to look Kazuya's eyes in the future and humiliate him.

Jin was ready to leave when Heihachi got up. He approached Kazuya's body and smiled.

-'How pathetic. I always knew Kazuya was useless.'

-'Out of my way old man.'-Jin said. He was surprised to hear his own voice sounding so cold.

-'Do you think I would let you go away this easily?'-Heihachi retorted.-'It's time to fight boy!'

Heihachi was convinced that although Kazuya had failed to win against Jin, he had at least succeeded in getting him tired. In this weakened state Heihachi was optimistic about winning against his grandson.

-'Kazuya was much more powerful than you and he's on the floor, bleeding…what makes you think you can handle me?'

-'He deserved it. He was a horrible father to you. He fooled your mother, he was never there for both of you and he even wanted to kill you…But me, I was good to you. I gave you a home, a family…You can't possibly hate me as much as you hate Kazuya.'

-'You have no idea…'

Jin charged first and caught Heihachi off guard. Pinned against the wall, Heihachi tried to breathe but Jin's hands were wrapped around his neck. He managed to escape to Jin's grip by kicking him on the stomach.

Yet Jin recovered quickly and this time he dodged all of Heihachi's attacks. Jin knew the old man wouldn't last long and soon he had Heihachi crawling at his feat.

He grabbed his head and prepared one last blow but before he could do it, a bright light submerged the room and Jin saw his mother before him. Her angelical face instructed him to stop before it was too late. Jin understood the message and released Heihachi.

-'You have my mother, Jun Kazama, to thank for your life.'-Jin said and then he fled away from Honmaru, Heihachi and Kazuya. He was now resigning himself to a life of loneliness.

Meanwhile Xiaoyu was opening her eyes. She felt extremely dizzy and confused. Julia, Miharu and an old man were in a circle debating what to do.

-'Hey…what's going on?'-she asked in a whisper.

-'Xiao! You're ok!'-Miharu squeaked making Xiaoyu's head hurt.

-'Of course I am…what happened?'

-'You don't remember?'-Julia inquired.

-'The last thing I remember was going to Heihachi's room to tell him I was going to quit.'

-'Well…you were brought here by that weirdo…the Yoshimitsu guy…'-Miharu started to explain.-'A guy took you away in a van…'

-'What guy?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'I don't know…probably someone from the Tekken Forces.'-Julia clarified.-'Heihachi must be behind all of this.'

-'What about the tournament?'-Xiaoyu asked.

-'It's over.'-Miharu said happily.-'We can finally go home and forget all about this.'

-'You were disqualified because you didn't show up. Miharu, Jin and I tried to find you but then Jin left too.'-Julia informed.-'As for Kazuya and Heihachi they never showed up in the arena. No one knows where they are. They were also disqualified.'

-'So Jin's the winner, right?'

-'I don't know since he's gone too. We haven't seen him ever since he went looking for you.'-Miharu finished.

Xiaoyu was sad and worried. Jin was gone and she had a bad feeling about it. She allowed the Doctor to check her again and then she was discharged.

The Hotel was now almost empty. Many fighters had already left. Miharu, Julia, Xiaoyu and King were the only ones there. After making sure that Xiaoyu was alright, the girls decided to pack and leave. Julia announced that she was going straight home as soon as they arrived in Tokyo's airport. Xiaoyu and Miharu didn't make any effort to persuade her to stay a few days in Japan. Miharu wanted to get some rest and Xiaoyu was depressed about Jin's departure.

Meanwhile, in Honmaru, Heihachi and Kazuya were both regaining consciousness. The room was partially destroyed and it was impossible not to step on blood, because the floor was almost entirely covered by it.

Kazuya's white clothes were now of a scarlet coloration which made him look like a runaway maniac from a mental Hospital.

Heihachi slowly get up, realising that fortunately he had no broken bones.

-'You should be ashamed of yourself. You also have the devil gene and yet you failed miserably to defeat your own kid!'-Heihachi spat furiously.

-'Look who's talking!'-Kazuya retorted. Although he was hurt (he had probably a few broken ribs) and his pride wasn't a hundred percent intact (he had been humiliated by his own son), Kazuya was always ready for a confrontation with Heihachi.

-'I managed to capture him and I brought him here. Now I have to start looking for that brat all over again!'-that was Heihachi's main worry. Jin wasn't easy to capture, especially when his devil powers were fully awake.

-'Well tough!'

The conversation could easily turn into a violent battle but a huge noise outside interrupted the argument. Suddenly Kazuya and Heihachi were surrounded by an army of Jacks.

-'Are you going to take me hostage?'-Heihachi asked Kazuya, thinking that the Jacks were following his son's orders.

-'So the G Corporation plans to take me out too…'-Kazuya muttered.

-'Is this some kind of a joke?'-Heihachi asked.

When the Jack squad attacked, Heihachi and Kazuya were forced to team up but successive waves of Jacks kept on coming.

A huge pile of destroyed Jacks was rising and Kazuya and Heihachi were running out of energy. Finally when five Jacks surrounded them, Kazuya saw an escape opportunity and pushed his father onto the robots direction. Kazuya fled leaving behind a furious Heihachi who, with horror saw the self-destruction timer set on one of the Jacks right in front of him.

-'Kazuya…you traitor.'

In a question of seconds a huge red and orange mushroom cloud appeared as the Jacks bomb exploded. Honmaru was a pile of ashes. A few miles away Kazuya grinned devilishly.

A man, hidden among the trees, reporting back to his Headquarters declared: 'Heihachi Mishima is dead.'

No one noticed the evil energy coming from bellow. An inhuman strength was now free. A pair of red glowing eyes emerged from the ashes and suddenly a monstrous laugh echoed through the forest.

-'The Zaibatsu is mine!'-a voice said and more cruel laughs followed.

THE END

A special thanks to: TJSC25, otaku freak to the 3rd power, Sora, Trinitybelle, lalalalalalalalalla, Sakuu-chan, SeungSeiRan and Erizza-san for your reviews. Your support was very important to me.

And I also thank everyone who spent time reading Destiny Changed.

I'm already working on a sequel...so I'll "see" you around.


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